


Saudade

by Saffir



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbender Ty Lee (Avatar), F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Katara is a good friend, Longing, Mentioned Original Characters - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining, Sexuality, Sexuality Crisis, Sexuality Discovery, Slow Burn, Soft Ending, Tension, Toph is a Good Mother, Ty Lee is a good friend, and oblivious, background Aang/Katara - Freeform, background sokka/suki/zuko, background ty lee/mai, brief mention of homelessness, lots of pining, potential angst, slowburn, toph is a lesbian, toph is stubborn, tophling rights, ty lee and toph are friends, ty lee is a lesbian, yaling gets redeemed, yaling is sapphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saffir/pseuds/Saffir
Summary: Toph Beifong is a hardworking mother of two and chief of the Republic City police force. After being swamped with work, she's forced into taking a break- a break that leads her to the very last person she would have ever expected. And with that person's arrival come past buried feelings, and Toph is finally forced to confront the part of her she had long since hidden away.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Lin Beifong, Toph Beifong & Suyin Beifong, Toph Beifong & Ty Lee, Toph Beifong/Yaling
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	1. The Present Undone

**Author's Note:**

> this is dedicated to yaling nation from twitter- y'all know who you are. this will hopefully be a long, drawn out slowburn fic- but never fear, there will be a happy ending! 
> 
> anyways, enjoy this long first chapter. the next one is hopefully coming soon :)

_Your soul greeted mine like a long lost friend, and we loved as though we'd never known anything else._

~~~~~

The silence of the peaceful early morning was broken by the wail of a baby, coming from one of the rooms in Toph’s apartment. The master earthbender groaned, rubbing her forehead as she stood up, the wailing loud in her ears. She let out a sound that almost sounded like a mix between a growl and a hiss, irritated at the loud and very sudden wake-up call. 

As the wails continued, Toph silently pondered what she had even been thinking, having a baby when she was already a single mother to a six year old. Not that Lin was very hard to deal with- she was six years old and already a big people pleaser, doing whatever her mom asked. Toph believed Lin was just trying to get whatever affection she could, so she didn’t complain. However, life with both a six year old and a baby was still hard- add in Toph’s immense workload as chief of police, and it didn’t get much better. 

And on top of all that, Toph was single and alone, living in an expensive apartment near the heart of Republic City- no servants, no employees. She cooked alone, ate alone, and lived alone- spare for her daughters, of course. 

The others in the Gaang often tried to come over, but they were all adults now. Katara and Aang lived on Air Temple Island with their children- Bumi, Kya and Tenzin. They did often leave, however, to go on trips to the other Air Temples or the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko, Suki and Sokka, meanwhile, went from place to place- they mostly lived in the Fire Nation Capital City, spending the spring and summer on Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe with their three children- Yasuko, Hakoda and Yue. Ty Lee rested in the Fire Nation with Mai, the two of them living a comfortable existence with their adopted son and daughters, Yeona, Ae-Cha and Aito. 

However, Katara and Aang tended to visit twice a week unless they were on a trip. Zuko, Suki and Sokka usually visited everytime they held their monthly get-together, along with Mai, Ty Lee and Iroh- who had settled into a comfortable life in Ba Sing Se, running his tea shop and living modestly. 

As Toph sat on her bed thinking, the wails of her daughter continued, and Toph found her feet moving of their own accord towards the crib that rested in the corner of the room. Katara had firmly suggested the placement of said crib (“Having the baby in your room is good,” The healer had explained with a smile, “It helps keep the baby safe, and minimizes how much you have to move in the night.”) and Toph had eventually acquiesced to the advice. 

Toph’s hands eventually found a hold of the crying baby, and Toph lifted Suyin into her arms. The baby continued crying as Toph shushed her, until eventually settling quietly once placed gently on Toph’s chest, her hands running over Suyin’s back. Suyin nuzzled her face into Toph’s chest, almost as if she was sniffing, before settling without another noise and closing her eyes. Toph let out a small, relieved sigh, moving to her bed to get a blanket. She took the blanket and wrapped it around her the way she had been shown, creating a sling to hold Suyin as Toph did her morning routine. 

Suyin quickly fell asleep on Toph’s chest, and so Toph began her morning routine carefully with the baby in the sling. She ran her brush through her tangled hair until it was as smooth as silk, then pulled it up into an updo and tied it in place. She clutched her headband and tugged it on, making sure it was properly fastened before returning to her room. 

She then found her way to the kitchen, pulling out ingredients from her many cabinets to make food. She still wasn’t a good cook, but living alone forced her to learn the skill, as much as she had initially struggled with it. In fact, she had nearly burned the room down the first time she had attempted to cook, and had to be guided by Katara and Sokka how exactly to cook properly over a dozen times until she could make a decent meal without issue. 

Time had passed since then, however, and Toph managed to memorize exactly what to do for a few recipes, enough to bring some variety to her week. And, she had become quite the decent cook, if she said so herself. Her daughter Lin seemed to agree- though Lin was quite easy to please in terms of food. 

As Toph cooked, she heard the padding of feet, and her seismic sense allowed her to see her daughter Lin walking out of her room, down the hallway and towards the kitchen. Lin yawned, rubbing her eyes before glancing at the kitchen. Her large green eyes landed on the pot of food, and she tilted her head slightly. 

“Are you making breakfast?”

“Indeed I am.” Toph stirred the pot and waved her hand. “Make sure to brush your hair, Lin.”

The little girl nodded in response, an eagerness to her actions. “I did mama. I brushed it as soon as I got up.”

A feeling of satisfaction rumbled through Toph. “Good. That’s a good girl, Lin.”

The joy in the little girl vibrated throughout the room, as she stepped forward to the simmering pot of food, her feet padding on the tiled stone floor. She walked over to the counter and stood on her tiptoes, glancing at the pot of food. “What are you making?”

Toph barely moved as she replied, still stirring. “Vegetable dumplings. Your favorite.”

Toph couldn’t help but slightly smile at the glee in her daughter’s voice. “Yay! Thank you mama!” 

“You’re welcome. Now go get dressed, Lin. We have a big day today.”

Lin nodded and ran back to her room. Toph continued to cook, stirring in the ingredients she needed as Lin busied herself getting ready.

Toph hummed slightly as she mixed the ingredients together in a practiced, disciplined rhythm, one she had grown so used to by now. They didn’t actually have that big of a day today- Toph only needed to run a few errands. However, she always would say it was a big day, just to make sure Lin got ready and knew to behave- not that the little girl was particularly unruly, but there was an unspoken rule that a big day meant behaving extremely well. And, by now, Toph had grown so accustomed to saying it that it slipped out of her mouth whenever she had to run errands with her daughters.

Suyin had stirred awake by the time Toph was done cooking. The baby just rested her hand on Toph’s chest, watching her mom with big green eyes. Suyin was only about seven months old by now- she had just started to crawl around, which Lin adored. Lin would often run around the little baby, helping her crawl around and playing peak-a-boo. It always made Toph happy to know that Lin was fully enjoying the presence of her baby sister- having grown up with no siblings and being isolated herself, Toph was happy to be able to give Lin a sibling and friend at her young age. 

Suyin continued to stare at her mom as Toph took the food and placed it on plates. Lin had returned by now, running excitedly into the dining room and sitting properly at the table. Toph may not have been a fan of the strict rules and manners she had been raised with, but she had still taught Lin the most basic ones. Her parents may have grown accustomed to the unruly, tough-as-nails daughter they had, but Toph knew they’d faint if her daughters didn’t have the most basic manners- and Toph didn’t want to have to go through that hassle. 

“Where are we going today?” Lin asked as she blew softly on her hot dumplings. She lifted her head, glancing at Toph. 

“We’ll be going into the city.” Toph replied, taking a bite of one of her dumplings. “I have to buy your sister some new clothes- she’s growing out of her current ones. And some toys. And on the way I’ll buy you some new clothes, and get some more ingredients to make food.” 

Lin grinned widely at the announcement of new clothes as she continued to happily munch on her dumplings. Toph just barely smiled as she continued to eat, occasionally taking a moment to wag a finger at Suyin, who was fussing slightly in the sling. 

As soon as all food was cleared off the plates and the plates were discarded in the sink, Toph went to her room to change into her day clothes. Usually, she’d just wear her police uniform, but she’d found that baby Suyin didn’t fully appreciate the feeling of cold metal against her soft skin- and so, she turned to a version of her regular clothes, once again opting to not wear shoes. 

As soon as she was dressed, she walked out to the main room of her apartment, where Lin sat quietly on the couch, playing with a small rock she liked to keep on her. Lin was quite a good earthbender for her age, even if she couldn’t yet metalbend. Toph was saving those lessons for when she turned nine. 

“Ready to go Lin?” Toph asked, adjusting the sling on her chest that held Suyin. Lin jumped off the couch and nodded eagerly. 

“Yes!”

Toph nodded and opened the door, allowing Lin to pad her way out of the apartment before she did. The little girl walked quickly in front of her, memorizing the way to the main road with her feet. Toph just followed passively, letting her daughter lead the way. The young girl was quite independent, and loved to go her own path when Toph allowed her to. Lin will definitely be a leader when she’s older, Toph thought to herself. 

After a few moments, Toph found herself on one of the main streets of Republic City, the bustling of people and loud sounds of the city buzzing around her. She whistled to Lin, who stepped back and stuck close to her side as they began to weave in and out of more crowded areas, trying to avoid running into people as they made their way to their destination. 

However, amongst the citizens of Republic City, Toph was practically a celebrity. As such, most people tended to fall out of her way without her having to do anything- or they ran out of her way. Her reputation as the very first metalbender, world-class earthbender and ally of the avatar, the Fire Lord and Chief of the Southern Water Tribe meant that not many people, if there were any, were willing to mess with her. Not to mention, the multiple statues of her that she tended to erect at whim definitely put people off. She was an intimidating force, widely feared and/or respected by both benders and non-benders alike. 

And those who knew her personally would say she was quite intimidating, or at the very least quite powerful. It was something agreed upon by everyone who knew her- or of her.

Sometimes she wondered if she’d eventually pass that onto her two daughters as well. She did see a bit of herself in the young girl- Lin was tough, yes, but much more cheerful than Toph had ever been at her age. She could imagine the little girl might grow into an intimidatingly powerful earthbender if she kept up her lessons- as for her personality, there was no telling. 

Regardless, Toph gripped the baby sling in her hand, and the slightest smile began to grace her lips as she followed her youngest daughter into the clothing store.

~~~~~

Shouts echoed throughout the metal chamber, bouncing off the walls as Toph’s latest suspect grew more and more unruly. Toph rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration, her eyes squeezed shut as the suspect- a man named Geun from the Fire Nation, who was suspected of assisting robbers in a local robbery- shouted obscenities at her, astonishingly unafraid of the intimidating metalbending police chief. She had been interrogating him for nearly an hour, but had barely been able to get a single word in. After a long moment of the yells reverberating in the metal chamber, Toph was finally fed up. 

“ENOUGH!” She yelled, slamming her hands on the table, catching the man off guard and nearly sending him crashing to the floor. As she slammed her hands down, the metal of the floor and table curved, cupping the man’s feet and wrists and keeping him shackled tightly in place. She flicked her wrist, sending a metal plate to cover the man’s mouth, blocking him from shouting any longer. The man nearly fell back, gold eyes widening in shock before narrowing in anger as he stared Toph in the face. 

Before she spoke again, the metalbender let out a soft, irritated sigh, letting her hands fall to her sides as she attempted to collect herself. As she did, the man tensed up, his eyes following her as she took a step over towards him, folding her arms behind her back. 

“Mister Geun, we have ten witnesses who can place you in a local warehouse with the robbers, mere minutes before the robbery went down. Ten witnesses. How do you expect us to believe that you weren’t at all involved? You seemed quite peaceable at the robbers sides.” 

Muffled noise came from the man’s mouth as he shook in his seat, and Toph glared in his general direction, her jaw turning slack as the gears in her head churned. 

“If I am to take the plate off of your face,” She began, “Will I have your word that you will cease your shouting?” A pause- the man stood silent, stubborn and unyielding. “If you do not cease your shouting, I will have no choice but to transfer you to a holding cell while I await Detective Aiguo to arrive and question you, and he can be much harsher than I am being right now. Now, Mister Geun, do I have your word?”

Toph stood still as a tense silence filled the room, Geun contemplating his response. She tapped her foot loudly, catching his attention and forcing him to lock his eyes onto her face as she cocked her head to the side. 

She stood to her full height- which wasn’t really that much- and folded her arms tightly, pursing her lips. “Do I have your word?”

A muffled groan of assent fell from the metal plate, before the man fell back in his seat and nodded. Toph clicked her tongue and flicked her wrist, removing the metal plate and discarding it in front of her on the table. 

The man inhaled a large gulp of breath, groaning before he opened his mouth to reply. “It wasn’t me! Those folks, those witness of yours, they’re all lyin’.” Geun spat, tossing his head forward. “I told you before, it was that lyin’ little weasel Iseul! She’s been framin’ me from the start for all a’ this!”

“As I said earlier, Mister Geun, we have no evidence tying Iseul to the crime or to the robbers. She has a strong alibi, unlike you. We have nothing to indict her on. You, however, have no alibi, ten witnesses placing you with the robbers, and discernable ties to the robbers. As far as the evidence seems to suggest, Iseul is some random local woman you’re naming to shift the blame. Either you can admit your guilt, or keep toying with us and see where that lands you.” 

The firebender shook his head angrily, fruitlessly attempting to slam his own hands onto the table. “I’m not lyin’! It was Iseul! It was Iseul, I’m tellin’ you! She’s behind all a’ this! You gotta believe me! She’s smarter than she looks, she’s been behind all a’ this!”

Before Toph could let out a reply, she heard a soft, honeyed voice call out for her from behind the metal door. “Chief Beifong?”

With a flick of her wrist, the metal plate returned to cover Geun’s mouth as he continued to shout uselessly against it. Toph groaned before exiting the metal chamber, shutting the door behind her as she came face to face with Detective Aiguo- a pleasant but unusually harsh non-bender and excellent detective, who had an unusually easy time getting suspects to crack. 

“Aiguo,” She exhaled, her body easing up as the tension in her body faded, “It is nice to finally have you here.”

The man nodded in reply, smiling, his gray eyes shining. “It’s nice to be here, Chief Beifong.” He then waved a hand to the room, muffled shouts still echoing. “You were interrogating the robbery suspect, I presume?”

“Indeed- a local firebender named Geun. You can have your time with him, Detective, but be warned- he’s a tough nut to crack. Hasn’t given me anything except the name of a woman, but following her leads nowhere. Maybe you’ll have more luck.”

“I hope so,” The detective replied cheerfully, standing aside to let Toph pass by. “Have a good rest of your day, Chief. Oh! And there’s a visitor here for you- in your office, I believe.” 

Toph cocked her head in confusion as the door to the interrogation room opened and then shut with a slam. A visitor? She didn’t get many visitors at her job, aside from her fellow officers asking her about cases. She began to wonder who it was. 

Nonetheless, Toph turned and walked down the long hallway, turning and turning until she reached her office. When she opened the door, she detected someone inside- a woman who she quickly recognized as Katara. Katara lifted her head at the door opening, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Toph standing there

“Toph!” Katara cried, leaping forward with her arms outstretched. Toph walked forward, right into Katara’s warm embrace, hugging her back. Toph had grown used to hugs, to the point where she didn’t dislike them anymore. She sighed contentedly as Katara finally pulled away. 

“I was wondering who was here to visit me; I should’ve suspected it’d be you. And uh, is that Kya I detect as well?” Toph tilted her head at the child in the room, who lifted her head and grinned. 

“Hi Toph!” Kya cried, running forth to hug the woman. Toph barely smiled as the young girl crashed into her, wrapping her arms tightly around Toph’s waist.

“Goodness, you’re getting so big.” Toph laughed, smiling as Kya detached her arms and pulled away with a bright smile. “You’re what, eleven years old now Kya?” 

“I am!” The young waterbender nodded eagerly, before turning to glance at her mother. 

Toph shifted, lifting her head to stare in Katara’s direction. “So, what brings you here Katara?”

“You.” The master waterbender replied, taking a step forward. “I asked around, and heard you’re having a stressful week. I wanted to encourage you- as a friend and as a healer- to take some time off from your work and just relax. Please.” 

Toph’s head fell forward as she glanced in Katara’s direction, her arms folded in an act of defiance. “Katara, we both know there’s no way you’re gonna get me out of work. You’ve tried this before.”

“Not like this,” Katara shoved a paper into Toph’s hands, smiling. “It’s a note to your colleagues. Since I am technically a healer, I can request you be given time off to rest. Now, I didn’t want to give this to your coworkers before asking you first, but I’m really worried about you. You’re working yourself to death here.” Toph began to splutter in frustration, but Katara stepped forward and grasped Toph’s shoulders. “Look, I hate doing this. I do. But you’re way too stressed out with this job and caring for your two daughters on your own. Just take this one break and rest, okay? You need it.” 

Toph sighed, rubbing her temples with her hands before resting them on either side of her face. “Alright, just this once. Lin has been begging me to stay home and teach her some more earthbending anyways.” 

Katara smiled and clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! I am a bit busy myself today, but Aang and I will swing by tomorrow with Bumi and Tenzin for dinner. Aang’s been very insistent on coming by with some of those fruit cakes of his.” 

Toph titled her head back and grinned. “I’m sure he has. He’s always mentioned how good they are, I do hope he manages to bring some good ones by.” 

“He will. Who should I give this paper to?” 

Toph held out her hand. “I’ll take it. I know who to give it to.”

Katara pursed her lips and handed the paper to Toph. “Alright. Rest up, okay Toph?”

Toph nodded as the two waterbenders left her office. “I will.” 

Once the footsteps died down and left her reach, Toph gripped the paper in her hands and walked out to the main hall, thrusting the paper into the hands of one of her employees- a reasonable man named Renshu. 

“Deliver this to HR, will you Renshu? My friend is officially requesting I take a break.” 

“On it, Chief.”

The man walked off, and Toph let out a sigh, taking her badge off before she walked back to her office to gather her things. As she did so, her coworker came by to inform her that the break was officially approved, and Toph thanked him before he returned to work. Eventually, with all her things gathered, Toph made her way home. 

Her apartment wasn’t too far from the main police building, resting in a nicer neighborhood in the heart of the city. As she opened the door, she heard the footsteps of her daughter Lin running towards her, before the little girl crashed into her legs.

“Mama! You’re home!”

“I am home,” Toph replied, lifting her head as her hired nanny walked into the main room, Suyin in her arms. “I have officially been put on a short four day break, to rest. I wanted to drop my things off here before I went shopping for food to make dinner.” 

“Oh, okay. What are we gonna have for dinner?” 

Toph knelt down to her daughter’s height. “I was thinking roasted turtle-duck- that sound good to you, Lin?”

Lin nodded feverently. “It definitely does, Mama!”

Toph grinned and stood up. “Alright, good.” Toph then set her things down, grasping her wallet. “I’ll be back shortly with food.”

Both Lin and the nanny waved goodbye as Toph exited the apartment, making her way to the main road. She weaved through the crowd as it parted like a sea at her presence, people scrambling to get out of her way. She quickly navigated her way to the market street, smiling at the buzz of life around her. The market street was busy as always, shops lining the edges as benders and non-benders alike walked down them, admiring the food and items gracing the window displays. It was a bustling and lively part of the city, and a place that Toph often liked to visit. 

Toph quickly found her way over to one of the stores, a grocery store selling all different kinds of meats. As she prepared to step inside, she heard a voice call out to her. 

“Toph?” Asked the voice, “Is that you?”

Toph had heard that voice before- she just knew she had. She turned around, shifting her feet as the gears in her head churned feverently, trying to remember where she knew that voice from. And then, after a few moments, it clicked- and the earthbender stood slack-jawed. 

“Yaling?”


	2. The Past Revisited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> toph and yaling meet again, decades after their initial meeting in what was then cranefish town. they come to realize that some things have changed, and some things haven't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are at chapter two, tophling nation!!! this fic is likely gonna last longer than intended- originally my plan was for four chapter only, but that might turn into five or six, depending on how the next chapter or two goes. anyways, i hope you'll enjoy this long chapter!!

_A sunken chest  
on the ocean ground  
to never be found  
was where she found me._

_Then she stirred  
my every thought  
my every word  
so gently, so profoundly._

_Now I am kept  
from dreams I dreamt  
when once I slept  
so soundly. _

~~~~~

Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The sounds surrounding them- the people walking to and from their destinations, the rumble of bending, the jingling of coins in bags and purses and wallets, the varied and scattered voices littering the air- they all seemed to fade until they were completely gone. Nothing else mattered in that moment- not the food Toph was supposed to buy, not the store entryway she was likely blocking- none of it. All that mattered was the woman standing tall and taut in front of her.

How long had it even been since she had seen Yaling? She couldn’t even hardly remember. It seemed so long ago that she had met the fellow earthbender in the city they stood in now, which had then been going by the name Cranefish Town- a small but decently-sized hub of wooden shacks, buildings and homes. A small but bustling town home to benders and non-benders living together. Decades had passed since then, though, the town now going by the name of Republic City, sitting as a booming metropolis in the land declared as the United Nations. Those wooden buildings had long since turned into carefully constructed stone and metal houses, homes and apartments and stores and restaurants littering along the coast likes jewels in sand. The streets had been paved and the city so carefully constructed, built piece by piece by an elegant construction crew carefully overseen by none other than Team Avatar themselves. Aang and Katara had ultimately decided to declare the United Nations alongside the others, and they had picked Republic City as the capital, and saw to it that the city became a deserving beacon of hope. 

Sometimes Toph still couldn’t believe how much it had grown. She had become so busy with all the duties that had been tasked to her since then- the metalbending school, her father’s industries, the business ventures she had taken on, and ultimately the police force as well that had bloomed in that very city- that her memory of the initial town and what it had been had blurred. She had eventually found herself living in an apartment of the town, where she had finally settled down and taken up residence. Even so, the fuzzy memories of what the town had once been had long since faded, tucked away with her other lesser childhood memories- until now. 

Toph briefly wracked her brain for anything, anything she could remember about Yaling, until she finally landed on a memory that had long since been gathering dust in the lonely corners of her mind. It was from back when she, Katara, Aang and Sokka had returned to Cranefish- and from when the benders vs non-benders movement had been growing and turning violent. In that memory she found Yaling, earthbending against her to help her mom in the fight against the non-benders, to capture Toph’s father’s factory. That fight had ended with Yaling in prison, alongside her mother, for attacking the non-benders of the town. Toph could only barely remember a fleeting glimpse at the potential friendship she and Yaling may have had, slipping away as the fellow earthbender was carted away to a prison cell in the metal cage Toph had constructed. However, as soon as that single memory came undone, countless others began to flood forward from the dark crevices of her memory, until her mind had finally reconstructed the long-past time of her childhood in Cranefish Town. 

And with those memories came a sort of understanding, a blooming feeling that took Toph a moment to recognize. And when she finally did recognize it, along came the memories- and Toph found that she could still remember the moments they had shared. There had been somewhat of an unspoken thing between the two- an acknowledgement of assent and likeness as two young, strong, female earthbenders making their way in the world. It had brought Toph a sort of comfort, finding a fellow earthbender her age to be near- even if that earthbender had turned out to be working against Toph and the ones she cared for. The moments they had shared had been brief- too brief for Toph’s liking, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it now. All that she was left with was the feeling of acceptance, accompanied with the bitter feeling of betrayal and longing. She had found something in Yaling, all those years ago, during the short time they had managed to share with each other- something that had been ripped away once Yaling chose to side with her mother and against Toph. Now, that something was flooding back as Yaling once again stood in front of her, still and rooted firmly in place. 

Time and prison had definitely changed Yaling. What had once been an eager, bright-eyed, fierce young girl had morphed into a taut, tense, aging woman, broken under the long years she had lived in those lonely cells. The years had clearly worn her out. 

Now the fellow earthbender was older- about Toph’s age of 39, probably even slighter older than her. Her light brown hair that had once been so long had been chopped short, held in place by nothing but a measly, dusty hairband as it fell to just barely above her shoulders, her ahoge still sticking up, but noticeably much less energetic. Her hair was also beginning to gray, a clear sign of age as the brightness had faded. Her usually bright green eyes had dulled with time, weighed down by all that she had seen and endured. Now, they held no light, and had turned to a much more sickly shade of green. Her skin was pale, slightly hollowed and obviously worn down by age and time. No hint of joy crossed her face- just a stubborn, staunch expression of stone, her lips spread thin in a line. 

She wore a simple, dirty outfit- a plain light green robe, edged with a soft yellow, hung over her body, held in place with a dark green robe around her waist. The robe fell to just below her hips, where she wore a pair of slightly tattered and loose greenish-brown pants that fell to her ankles. No shoes graced her feet, allowing the dirt and earth to flake onto her skin. On her arms laid some olive colored sleeves, loose and long as they fell to her elbows. Her clothes had been aged and worn, but they weren’t prison attire- no, they seemed to rather be an old dusty outfit, taken from a dark abandoned corner and given as a last-minute clothes option. 

Clearly, Yaling was fresh from prison, nothing to her name but a tattered outfit that wasn’t even hers. She had definitely changed since Toph had last seen her- but then again, Toph had changed as well. 

Toph was then torn from her trance by the honking of a nearby horn, and found that Yaling hadn’t moved. The fellow earthbender stood still in her place, firmly rooted to the ground. 

“Yaling?” Toph spoke, her voice shaking ever so slightly with a note of insecurity, as if she still couldn’t believe the woman was standing in front of her after all these years. “Is that you?”

Yaling nodded, cocking her head as she folded her arms. “Yeah. Long time no see, huh?” Yaling’s eyes trailed over Toph’s body, landing on the metal police suit she was wearing. Unbeknownst to Toph, something shimmered slightly in Yaling’s eyes, disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared. “Still metalbending, huh?”

Toph drew her lips into a thick line, the shakiness of her voice even softer and smaller now. “Yes I am.” 

A tense silence followed, held taut enough that you’d have to cut through it with a blade. The two women had history- not much history, but enough so that it caused a tense awkwardness to linger in the air. Both women stayed silent for a moment, neither wanting to break the tension that was hanging so delicately between them. 

But then, some poor unfortunate man had the audacity to yell at and push Toph for blocking the entryway to the shop- and cut through the tense silence like butter, snapping both women out of their trance. As the man suddenly paused, recognizing Toph’s face, she moved forward, snapping her arms in a memorized movement as the man’s eyes widened. 

Both women had instinctively moved to earthbend the man- and the combination had seen him catapulted through the air, knocked back several dozen feet and crashing into a fruit stand. The dual force of being knocked into the air by two powerful earthbenders had rendered the man unconscious, bruises forming along his body as he laid on the street.

Toph stood and swore under her breath, not even glancing back as she ran forward, any people in front of her parting her way. She reached the man and lifted him up, carrying him with immense ease- despite being nearly two full heads shorter than him. She carried the man over to a small gaggle of women, all healers who Toph had seen before, often shopping on this street. 

“Get him to a hospital, will you?” Toph requested, holding the man in her arms. The women nodded and one of them stepped forward- a tall, dark woman with long inky hair and blue eyes, taking the man in her arms and walking away with the other healers. 

When that was taken care of, Toph walked back to Yaling, who stood almost dumbfounded. Her stance had been broken and she was leaning forward slightly, her brows raised in shock as she straightened her posture. 

“That man yelled at you,” She started, glancing at Toph, “and you call him a hospital?” 

“I’m the Chief of Police,” Toph replied sternly, “It’s not the best look for me if I go beating up just any random person off the street. Though he did deserve it.” She turned to Yaling. “I know what you’re gonna say- yes, I do still fight. I’m just trying not to fight random people off the street. I try to only really fight actual criminals or those who deserve a good punch.”

“I’d say he deserves more than that.” Yaling commented, folding her arms. “And wait- Chief of Police? Seriously?”

Toph clicked her tongue, surprised at the remark. “Yeah, what about it?”

Yaling shook her head. “Wouldn’t have pegged you as the type.” 

Toph cocked her head, intrigued. “Wouldn’t have thought you’d have pegged me as anything, given how shortly we knew each other for.”

Yaling shrugged nonchalantly, gazing to the side for a brief moment before allowing her eyes to return to Toph, scanning up and down the younger woman’s form. Something shimmered in her eyes as she did so- something undetectable to Toph. “You can intuit quite a bit from someone in a short time. You were just as wild as I was, so I wouldn’t have pegged you to be someone who enforced laws.”

It was Toph’s turn to shrug, cocking her head as she tried to stare right back at Yaling (and ended up staring behind her instead, but Yaling didn’t care). “I was practically forced into this position. They had started a police force and needed a chief, a figurehead. I apparently fit the profile.”

Yaling nearly choked on a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand as she struggled to regain her composure. When she finally did, she let out an amused huff, glancing at Toph- who was staring with an unamused expression resting on her face. “ _You_ fit the profile? Of all people, they said _you_ fit the profile? You’re the least police-y person I know!”

“Somehow I do.” Toph said, a perplexed tone to her voice, a sharp stubbornness still present on her face. “I have never understood it either. But they saw me at my academy, saw how intimidating I am and how good I am at leading, and kept bugging me to take the job for weeks.” 

Yaling scoffed, finally taking a step forward. Something shifted in her as she took this step- a new air was about her as she walked forward, but Toph couldn’t detect what it was. A smirk had formed on Yaling’s face, curving the corners of her mouth for the first time in decades. As she did so, she almost looked the same as she had when she and Toph had first met- the joy and cockiness of her wild youth almost returning to her face in that moment, making her look, for a brief moment, 20 or so years younger. 

And then, Yaling lifted her head and opened her mouth, and the brief glimpse of youthful confidence vanished, leaving her with the wrinkles and signs of her age. 

“Quite surprised that miss-big-bad-metalbender kneeled down for a couple of folks begging her to take a job she didn’t fit.” Yaling taunted, the smirk almost turning into a sneer as she held back a low growl. All at once, the anger and resentment of sitting in a jail cell all those years tore to the surface, shining on her face. A fire roared behind the earthbender’s sickly green eyes, as wild and untamed as the child’s spirit that still rested inside her. Toph knew better than anyone- she was not the type to forgive, and if Yaling was indeed just like Toph, she wouldn’t be either. 

“I never kneeled down to anyone. Once again, it seems you have confused things and gone the clearly asinine route.” Toph replied sternly, refusing to back down. Yaling may be stubborn and headstrong, but no one could claim they were more headstrong than Toph Beifong- the woman who had invented metalbending in mere minutes just to spite the man who told her it was impossible just moments earlier. Toph cocked her head, taking the moment to smirk as Yaling nearly growled in response, her face scrunched in frustration. 

“I see you haven’t changed.” Yaling eventually stated, nearly spitting the words out as she practically glared at Toph. Toph stood firm and still, rooted in her spot, her expression stiff and unwavering.

“Neither have you, it seems.”

Yaling sighed, closing her eyes briefly before rolling her head and locking her eyes with Toph’s cloudy ones. “If you’re talking about my opinion on non-benders, that has changed. Or at least to the point where I don’t think they’re worthless anymore.” The earthbender folded her arms again, stiffening. “Not sure how I feel about them now, but spending years without your mother fueling stuff into you can really change a person.” 

Toph fought to keep her face emotionless as she replied. “I can imagine.” Yaling cocked her brow, giving a judgemental look. Before she could reply, Toph held her hand up as a buffer, cocking her head to gesture to the other people littering the street, staring in silent intimidation at the two of them. “Let’s take this somewhere else. Follow me, I know a good place.”

Yaling glanced at Toph, blinking as the metalbender turned and started walking. Yalong bit her lip, shrugged and followed, stepping forward and weaving through the crowd with amazing ease, following Toph until they got to a quiet and secluded park in the upskirts of the city, a park that was only home to two or three others. Toph led Yaling to a bench, taking a seat as the other earthbender hesitated for a brief moment, before eventually joining Toph and sitting down beside her.

“I may not have had as malicious of a mother as you,” Toph murmured, lifting her head and baring her neck and the underside of her chin, before rolling her head forward and half-lidding her eyes to gaze in Yaling’s direction, “But both my parents were strict, kept me locked up and fed me their ideals for years. I have some semblance of an idea of what your mother did to you, given how my own parents did something similar.” 

Yaling almost scoffed, almost sitting up right then and there. “Don’t even try to tell me you know how I felt, growing up with my mother. You don’t.”

Toph leaned forward, craning her head. “My parents. Kept me locked up. Fed me misinformation that I was weak, fragile, helpless, that I was a piece of porcelain that had to be protected and shielded from the world. Kept me as a prisoner in my own home, barely allowing me to leave to the garden. If I tried to say anything, I was brushed aside as incorrect and too immature. Yeah, it wasn’t what you went through, but in terms of the whole ‘parents forcing their ideals onto you’ bit, I do know what that’s like, at least.” 

Yaling bit her lip, dragging her teeth until they almost bled as she took a moment to think. Her eyes became half-lidded, before she rolled her head and glanced to the side. “Hm. Well, we still ended up quite differently, I’d say. You as the head of the police, me as a decades-long prisoner. Doesn’t feel right to be comparing us, don’t you think?”

Toph pursed her lips, leaning back and taking a moment to think. “In that regard, we are indeed opposites, yes. We still seemed similar when we met, though- that we can both agree on, correct?”

Yaling paused, pursing her lips as she contemplated the statement. The gears in her brain seemed to churn as she thought of a reply, leaving Toph sitting silent and tense on the bench. 

“I guess,” Yaling finally murmured, turning her head, “In that regard, we are indeed similar.” The earthbender then frowned, glancing at Toph. “It seems I caught you off-guard earlier. Whatever you were doing, I’ll leave you to it.”

Yaling stood up suddenly, taking a few steps towards the entrance of the park before glancing back to Toph. An unreadable expression sat on her face, a mix of something bittersweet and nostalgic. 

“We’ll talk again soon, I’m sure.”

And with that, Yaling was gone, leaving Toph alone in the park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, toph is unfortunately still a cop in this fic, but in my mind she was almost forced into the job- cuz we all know toph would never go willingly. also, toph's age in this fic is 39- if it was mentioned before, i had it incorrect before. yaling's age isn't technically known, but i imagine her being about toph's age, likely slightly older- so she's 40 in this :)


	3. Never ending thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph doesn't run into Yaling for a little while, and so she thrusts herself back into her work, hoping to drown the resurfaced feelings out. But she isn't going to get away from Yaling that easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's chapter three!!
> 
> in all honesty, i was only planning four chapters for this story, but it's branched out and become more than i ever expected. looks like there's gonna be at least six chapters, if not more- and knowing how much i force myself to write per chapter, let's just say tophling nation getting fed

_"I lost  
my way  
all the way  
to you  
and in you  
I found  
all the way  
back to  
me." _

~~~~~

After the tense conversation with Yaling and her sudden disappearance, Toph found herself stranded in the park with no inkling of what to do. After a few moments and some hushed whispers by the other patrons of the park, Toph found herself being lead absentmindedly by her feet towards the shop she had planned to enter before Yaling had arrived.

Thus, she eventually returned to her home with the groceries she needed, a tense and narrow expression still resting on her face as she walked in tightly gripping the bags. Her daughter Lin quickly noticed Toph’s expression and stiffness, sliding out of her mom’s way and helping to unload the bags. The nanny, a peaceful older woman named Ahnjong who had gray hair and a pair of kind green eyes, also stepped in to help unpack the groceries as Suyin rested on her chest in a sling. 

“I hope your trip treated you well, Ma’am.” Ahnjong murmured, stocking the groceries on the shelves and pantry. As Toph just sighed in response, Ahnjong stepped forward and lifted Suyin out of her sling, placing her into Toph’s outstretched arms. Toph barely nodded as she cradled Suyin, brushing her hand over the baby’s head. 

Ahnjong was a woman Toph had happened to meet years earlier at a women’s health clinic, while she was there with a four month old Lin. Ahnjong had introduced herself as a widowed grandmother and instantly offered to help Toph with her baby, asking for nothing in return. Toph had originally been hesitant, but the older non-bender seemed to just have a way with young babies and children, easily getting them to settle with almost no trouble. After a particularly hard week of trying in vain to get Lin to behave, Toph had accepted Ahnjong’s help, and the woman became a permanent part-time nanny for Toph and her children. 

Ahnjong craned her head, eyeing the younger woman with a solemn smile. 

“You have something on your mind, Miss Beifong.” Ahnjong pointed out, lifting her head as the solemn smile became kind. As Toph held Suyin closer, Ahnjong closed the pantry and walked towards Toph. “Did you meet someone on your walk out? You were gone longer than expected, and you returned with a strange expression.” 

As Toph stilled, lifting her head, Ahnjong placed a hand on Toph’s shoulder before glancing at Suyin, who was settling on Toph’s chest. The older woman instilled a soft, relaxed feeling in Toph, who sighed and lifted her head. 

“I did meet someone.” Toph eventually replied with a small huff, reaching her hand down to meet Lin’s hands as the young girl stood close to her, gazing up at her. “Someone I haven’t seen in years.” 

Ahnjong pursed her lips slightly before smiling. “I’m not surprised, I could see something nostalgic in your eyes.” 

Toph cocked her head in slight confusion, about to ask Ahnjong before the older woman smiled again.

“Even blind eyes can reflect emotion, Miss Beifong, as I have told you before. Everyone’s expressive if you know what to look for.” The older woman took a few steps away, grabbing the small bag on the table. “Shall I stay and help with dinner or do you no longer need me for the evening?”

Normally, Toph would refuse the offer- despite having a nanny for her children, she didn’t always like asking for or accepting help- but her encounter with Yaling had oddly drained her of her usual strength, so she found herself nodding her head. “I wouldn’t mind some help.” 

Ahnjong smiled warmly and placed the bag back down onto the table. “Then I shall stay for the evening.” 

~~~~~

Toph awoke a few days later to loud wailing yet again. She rubbed her face in annoyance and yawned, blinking the sleep from her cloudy eyes, before standing and letting her feet lead her to Suyin’s crib in the corner. She picked the baby up and cradled her to her chest, but Suyin’s wails only grew in intensity. She tried patting the baby’s back, shushing her to peace, but that didn’t work either. Eventually, Toph rolled down her shirt and held Suyin to her chest until the baby finally settled, shifting into a peaceful position as she started to nurse, Toph coddling her all the way. 

When Suyin was done, Toph rolled the baby and patted her back until a loud burp fell out of her mouth, at which point Toph finally rolled her shirt back down and held the baby against her chest yet again. As she did so, Toph walked over to her bed, wrapping Suyin in a makeshift sling as she waited for the baby to settle. After a few moments of soft babbling, the baby finally settled, her large green eyes locking with Toph’s clouded ones. Once Suyin finally settled and became quiet, Toph walked over and opened her bedroom door. 

It was early in the morning- Toph could tell from the warmth of the sun rays and the chirping of the birds outside. Lin wasn’t yet awake, somehow sleeping through the wails of the baby and continuing to stay snuggled in her bed. Toph wished that could be her, but then again, she had a duty to her daughter. 

Toph walked over to the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards, taking out some ingredients to make breakfast. Suyin started to slightly fuss on her chest, pawing at the fabric. Toph leaned her head down and cradled her daughter’s head, running her thumb over Suyin’s cheek as the infant settled again under Toph’s touch, closing her eyes and fisting the fabric of Toph’s shirt. Toph hid a smile at this, running her fingers over Suyin’s fine black hair. It was soft, much like her own hair- and Toph delighted in knowing her second daughter had also inherited her hair from her. She had always quietly hoped that neither of her daughters would take too much after their fathers- that would at the very least cause an attachment to them, one that Toph didn’t want after she ended up being abandoned by them both. Men, she had decided, were too much of a hassle, too much of a risk. After them, she couldn’t really imagine any man truly being with her despite her reputation. 

After a few minutes, Toph had the breakfast prepared as she sat down at the table. As she began to eat, she felt Lin’s heartbeat rise- and realized her daughter was awake and padding softly towards the kitchen. 

“Good morning Mama.” Lin murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she padded towards the table. “Is that breakfast?”

“Yes it is sweetheart.” Toph replied, lightly playing with Suyin’s hair as the baby stirred. “Steamed buns. You like those.”

Lin grinned widely and stepped forward, sitting in one of the chairs and pulling a plate towards her. She sat up, leaning over to grab some of the steamed buns and put them on her plate. 

Lin munched on the buns happily, glancing at her baby sister who was blinking at her. “Can I play with Suyin?” Lin asked suddenly, reaching a hand out to grasp Suyin’s cheek tenderly. 

“If you want, yes.” Toph replied, holding another bun in her hands. “Ahnjong will be here shortly, mkay? Mama’s got some shopping to do.” 

Lin nodded curtly, putting on a smile as Toph lifted Suyin out of the sling and placed her on the rug in the middle of the room. Lin giggled and leapt forward, reaching her hands out to hold onto her little sister, who began slowly crawling towards her. Toph continued to eat for a few moments, enjoying the sound of her two daughters happily playing on the floor, before she finally stood and walked back to her room to get dressed.

~~~~~

After countless long days and even longer nights, frantic work days and baby wail alarms, Toph had realized that a month had passed since she had seen Yaling. 

Her week of rest had long-since passed, and Toph had been called back to duty to a scrambling task force. A new string of assaults and robberies had thrown the office into a dizzy, and all thoughts of the older earthbender had left Toph’s mind as she instead focused dutifully on trying to find the people responsible. As chief of police, Toph’s mind quickly shifted into overdrive, and she entered work mode as she began to spend long nights at her office, working on cases until they finally were solved on the 20th day of investigating. 

When Toph finally found herself free from the incessant workload, she returned home in time to see Suyin sit up unassisted for the first time ever. Toph had lifted the baby up and swung her around in joy, smiling as the little girl giggled in her grip. Lin was there too, watching her baby sister the entire time, giggling and laughing happily as her sister finally sat up. Lin had ran over, clapping as Toph swung the baby around, before stretching her arms out in a request to hold Suyin. 

Lin was tall for her age- much, much taller than Toph had ever been at that age. Toph had always been tiny for her age, although she hadn’t particularly noticed until after she had met Aang, Katara and Sokka, and had begun traveling the world with them and meeting more kids her age. In the end, by the time Toph had ultimately reached adulthood, she stood at a the short height of four feet and eleven inches tall. Still, she always claimed to be five feet tall- it was much simpler to say, and no one ever dared to claim that she was reaching for that extra inch.

After all, despite Toph’s petite height, she was still an incredibly intimidating force. Sometimes those who hadn’t ever met her and doubted her reputation would laugh in her face- “This is the greatest earthbender in the world? Seriously? She’s so tiny, she almost looks like a blind little turtleduck!”- but after a good beating, they’d quickly shut up and change their ways. Even Aang, the giant that he had become, never uttered a word about her height to her. Then again, Aang was a kindred spirit who never judged someone on their appearance, so Toph wasn’t surprised.

Still, Toph was thankful that Lin seemed to have inherited her father’s height. Toph couldn’t remember much about the man who ended up becoming Lin’s father. All she could remember was that the man had been a rather tall and forthcoming non-bender, with dark hair and light skin, who hadn’t ever been intimidated by her reputation. However, he left not too long afterwards without a word, and the realization of pregnancy pushed all thought of the man out of her mind. 

Toph reached her arms out and gingerly placed Suyin into Lin’s arms. Lin held onto her baby sister tightly, pressing little butterfly kisses over her face as the baby giggled happily. As Toph stood back up again, she stretched and ran a hand through her hair. 

“Hey sweetheart, Ahnjong will be here soon to watch you and your sister for a few hours, alright?”

Lin nodded and looked up at Toph. “Okay. Are you gonna be shopping today?” 

“Not today. I’m gonna be visiting Aang and Katara today, okay?” Toph smiled and lowered her hand, placing her finger on Lin’s nose. “It’s not a hangout though, I have to talk to them about something. I’ll be back in a few hours, alright?” 

Before Lin could reply, Toph sensed an arrival of someone along the pathway to her house- a woman- and right as Toph recognized the figure, a knock sounded at the door. 

“Lin, do you recognize who it is?” Toph questioned, cocking her head as she quietly signaled to her daughter to use her seismic sense. 

Lin nodded and put her bare foot down, briefly closing her eyes. “It’s Ahnjong, Mama!” The little girl cried, pointing eagerly at the door with a free hand. 

Toph tilted her head. “You wanna go open the door for her?”

Lin nodded eagerly, and so Toph stretched her arms out and took Suyin from Lin. Then Toph nodded her own head, and Lin padded her little feet over to the door and reached for the knob, prying it open and the door along with it. The door swung open to indeed reveal Ahnjong, smiling as she stood with a small bag clasped in her hands. The older woman let herself in, stepping in and smiling at Lin as she closed the door behind her. 

Ahnjong set the small bag on the kitchen table and looked to Toph, holding Suyin in her arms. “You look to be well, Miss Beifong.” She commented, placing her hand in the bag to fish something out. “I’m guessing whatever was keeping you busy at work is over with for the meantime?”

Toph nodded. “It is. The whole department was stumbling over itself because of some local gang activity.” Toph explained, as Ahnjong fished a small doll out of the bag, handing it to Lin as the little girl giggled in excitement. “We managed to catch the big players though, so activity’s gone down. For the mean time, we don’t have much doing on.”

Ahnjong smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“You didn’t have to go out of your way to buy Lin a doll, Ahnjong.” Toph murmured after Lin ran back to her room with the new toy.

Ahnjong waved her hand. “It’s nothing. My daughter bought her son the doll but he ended up not wanting it, so she gave it to me. I figured Lin would appreciate it.” She tilted her head and stretched her arms out, offering to take Suyin in her arms. Toph relented, placing the baby in Ahnjong’s arms before moving to the kitchen, taking a roll from a basket. “I’m going out today but I shouldn’t be too long- I’ll probably be back before evening.” 

“Got it.” Ahnjong said with a nod, smiling. “Do take care today, Miss Beifong.”

~~~~~

Toph found herself walking along the sidewalk towards one of the city’s main parks. She didn’t really know why she was even walking towards the park- it wasn’t something she’d usually do, but since her chance encounter, the work piling up at the station and the stress of being a single mother, she had often found herself letting her feet lead her to one of the parks. They were often a peaceful place, the bushes kept neatly trimmed and the grass taken care of by either city committees or local nature enthusiasts. With all the faults the city had, there were equally good parts of it too, ones that Toph sometimes indulged in when she was given the chance. 

Toph did have to admit, she liked a fast-paced and adventurous life. She liked the adrenaline it spared her, the feeling of euphoria. She wasn’t much for peace, quiet and tranquility. She had gotten enough of that growing up, locked in her family’s estate surrounded by guards and gardens, people walking on eggshells around her as if she were a fragile piece of porcelain that would break with one wrong movement. As soon as Aang, Katara and Sokka had granted her a way out of that routine quiet, she found herself chasing adventure, noise, action- anything that would drown out the memories of her childhood. She craved it, desired it- and so, didn’t often find herself seeking the opposite. But sometimes stress and work drowned out the need for adventure and action, drawing upon that small part of her that desired a small piece of tranquility every now and then. These parks were just the place for that- large green trees, calmly flowing water, a cleanliness to the air that wasn’t as present in the rest of the industrialized city. It was one of the few idyllic places in the city, uninterrupted by the usual noise and commotion. And so Toph found her being lead by her feet there every three weeks or so, aching to just sit in a quiet spot of the park and bask in the peace and quiet. 

It was different today, though. In one corner of the park she noticed a homeless encampment- which wasn’t that out of the ordinary, unfortunately. However, she sensed someone familiar in the encampment, but they recognized her before she recognized them.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here.” Yaling murmured, standing up to face Toph. The earthbender cocked her head, stepping away to walk towards Toph, rubbing a small pebble between her fingers. 

“Didn’t think you’d be here.” Toph murmured in response.

Yaling cocked her head once again, this time in confusion. “Where else would I be?”

Toph stared. She hadn’t thought of that. “Your sister?”

“My sister moved about nine years back.” Yaling explained. “Told me before she did, said she didn’t want to live in the city that reminder her so much of me and mom. Mom had passed away by then.” She briefly glanced away before turning her head back to Toph, biting her lip slightly. “Said she was moving to Ba Sing Se. She’d uh, met some man as well. He had dreams of moving to Ba Sing Se, so Ru went with him. Still sent me postcards and letters though. She had a daughter six years ago, named her Mei-yin. Then a boy four years later, named him Chul. As much as she still tries to reach out, the last thing I’d want to do is burden her and her family.” 

“So you’re homeless?”

Yaling scoffed. “Not everyone can be rich and live in comfort like you.”

“I know that,” Toph retorted, “I just didn’t expect you wouldn’t have a home.”

Yaling shrugged her shoulders. “What else did you expect, really? The only home I had was with my mom. We get taken to prison, that home goes away.” 

Toph processed that for a moment, before she found herself lifting her head and speaking something she never expected herself to say. 

“Then come stay with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter might not be out for a little bit. my birthday is this friday (18!! yay i'm old!!) and i'm having a small celebration for it on saturday. but hopefully it'll be a bit longer than this one <3


	4. Arms I’ve never known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaling gives her answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4.5k words... strap in cuz this chapter’s a doozy!! i had a surprise originally intended for this but i’m still working on it, so keep an eye on my twitter @sxpphicwitch in the meantime!! anyways, enjoy this long chapter :)

_“There is a love I reminisce,  
like a seed  
I’ve never sown._

_Of lips that I am yet to kiss,  
and eyes not met  
my own._

_Hands that wrap around my wrists,  
and arms  
that feel like home._

_I wonder how it is I miss  
these things  
I’ve never known.”_

A thick, heavy silence filled the air between the two women, never broken not even by the chattering of people around them. A small part of Toph almost instantly regretted even speaking. The tension was still there between them, after all. The years past had made sure of that, maybe even strengthened it. Fueled it. There was still that unspoken distrust, the discord that threatened to cut through every one of their encounters. Clearly it wasn’t even close to a remotely good idea to suggest it, to offer it.

Still, she had found her lips moving, the words spilling out like water from a fountain. Toph wondered if she’d end up wholly regretting this later as Yaling’s posture shifted, her body and movements tightening, her fingers clenching around the small pebble that had been smoothed, no doubt due to constant touch. 

Yaling stared at Toph, something swirling and bubbling in her green eyes. The older woman paused, no doubt considering the offer- which was a surprise in itself. Toph hadn’t even entertained for a second the idea that Yaling would even consider her offer- she’d expected a cut and dry refusal, likely along with a demand to leave her alone from there out. But no, Yaling was paused in consideration, tasting the words as she drank in the tense silence. 

As Toph stood taut, Yaling turned and glanced along the homeless encampment. Her eyes trailed along the tents and people sitting in them, the children in tattered clothing, the animals curled up shivering in their owner’s laps. As she turned back to face Toph, something formed in her mind, the gears churning. As she came to a conclusion, she stood tall and firm, towering over the metalbender in front of her.

“If I am to move into the comfort of your likely upper-class and expensive house, I need the confirmation that I’ll be able to use the resources there to help out the people here.” Yaling finally replied, her voice almost dropping an octave as she stood with utmost confidence. Her posture had shifted, shining with intrepid tenacity as her jaw locked in place, lips drawing rigidly into a line. She stared at Toph, eyes boring into Toph’s, unbeknownst to her. 

Toph almost cocked an eyebrow at that- not because she was offended at the request, but more surprised. She hadn’t ever expected words like those to escape Yaling’s mouth.

“I don’t see why you cannot,” Toph replied, tilting her head slightly. “I have no qualms about you using my resources to help others out if that’s what you want to do.” She pursed her lips for a very brief moment, staring in the general direction of Yaling, pondering the words that Yaling had spoken. “I am surprised, though.”

Yaling was caught off-guard, her posture shifting only ever so slightly as her ears enveloped the words. “Surprised? By what?”

Toph shrugged her shoulders. “I’m surprised that you hold this much compassion.”

“Did you think me a heartless jerk?” Yaling snapped, her eyes narrowing in a glare. Her posture shifted, anger and offense seeping into her tall and stilled form, her fingers clenching the fabric of her outfit absentmindedly. 

“Not necessarily,” Toph’s voice almost became defensive at the sudden change in Yaling’s tone and posture, though she fought to hide it, refusing to show any sort of submission or compliance. “But, it’s not often you meet someone who holds so much compassion for others. I guess I am pleasantly surprised that you’re one of those people.” 

Yaling’s offense slightly turned into content, but only slightly. She still stood tall and taut, pursing her lips as the gears in her mind churned in thought. Something brewed in her mind, only briefly shielded by the dull green of her eyes- not that Toph could tell, of course. Whatever it was, Yaling pushed herself until she came to a conclusion. 

Finally, after yet another thick and taut pause of silence, Yaling responded.  
“Alright then. I’ll go gather my things.”

~~~~~

Toph almost couldn’t believe it. The very last words she had ever expected Yaling to say had slipped from her lips. The fellow earthbender moved, swerving to return to her tent, ducking past the other camp members as she did so. As she finally ducked into her tent and became shielded by the fabric, Toph stood there in utter shock, at both herself and Yaling.

She didn’t know what she had been thinking- perhaps she had finally gone crazy. Toph was a working woman in a three bedroom apartment with two kids and a full schedule, along with an entire police force to run and watch after. She didn’t have enough time to entertain Yaling or make sure nothing happened at home. There was the extra bedroom, yes, but Toph still worried about the very idea of Yaling staying there. 

There was still the matter of Ahnjong, Lin and Suyin- and the fact that Toph was supposed to meet up with Aang and Katara today. Of course, all memory of that had drifted away like smoke as soon as Yaling had stepped into her field of senses. It was then that Toph realized something- Yaling likely had _no idea_ Toph even had children. 

_What would she say when she met them?_ Toph wondered to herself. What would Yaling do or say when she saw Toph had given birth to and was raising two young girls, both bright-eyed and cheery, so alike Yaling and her sister had been and yet so different at the same time. 

Toph wondered what Yaling would think of her. Toph’s kids weren’t widely public knowledge, after all. While she didn’t hide them or shield them from the world like her parents had done to her, she wasn’t much of a socialite and didn’t drag her kids out of the house much. 

Besides, her eldest Lin preferred to stay in the apartment or on the surrounding property. She only ever really came out when it was time for earthbending lessons, or when they were going to meet up with the rest of the Gaang. For the moment, Lin preferred the comfort of their home and the surrounding little area, content to stay there with Suyin and practice earthbending. The world was an overwhelming thing for a young child, especially when you had as famous a parent as Toph. And even despite Lin’s ever-forming sharp edges and the drops of Toph’s personality that were seeping into hers, Lin found herself happy in the apartment, content to come out every now and again when she wanted company in the form of other children. Even so, it wasn’t that often- the Gaang’s children were plenty a playmate for Lin. 

As such, it wasn’t very widely known that Toph had children. Plus, Suyin was only eight months old, so she wasn’t really going out much unless Toph carried her outside in a sling. 

Not to mention, Yaling _had_ spent the last two decades behind prison bare, unknowing of Toph’s status as the Chief of Police. Toph doubted Yaling knew of her status as a parent either. 

Toph soon realized that she was almost overwhelmed by her thoughts as they swirled and churned in her mind. She could sense the older earthbender still in her tent, collecting little things off the ground and stuffing them into what Toph assumed was a bag or sack of some sort. Toph realized she still had the chance to run, to take back what she had said and abandon the opportunity. But still, against her better judgement, she found herself standing firm and still in her spot, rooted to the ground as she awaited the return of her old acquaintance. Almost every rational cell in her body was screaming at her, but to hell with it. Life was a never-ending cycle of risks, and this was one Toph was willing to take, regardless of if she had no idea of the outcome. She had an odd sense of trust for Yaling, despite what had happened in their past, despite the betrayal and ache she had left behind. That ache that had dissipated so long ago had begun to creep up into Toph again, skirting on the edge of her mind as she drowned it out with work. Now, it stood yet again, creeping up as she kept a firm sense on Yaling in the tent. 

Yaling seemed to be taking her sweet time, having no idea of the tenseness and unease she was causing in the metalbender. Or perhaps she did, and was dragging her movements out for the sole purpose of tormenting Toph. Whatever it was, it was driving Toph mad. She could sense every little movement of Yaling’s, how her hands reached for each object with an unexpected level of delicacy, how Yaling sat firmly on the ground as she picked her things up. 

She was mad, wasn’t she? Inviting an old acquaintance, fresh from prison, whom she had barely interacted with and been separated from for nearly three decades, to live in her apartment with her and her daughters. She hadn’t ever dared act so recklessly before. Her actions were always planned, calculated, never without reason. What was her reason in this- besides maybe her occasional fleeting desire to be a good samaritan and help people out. She didn’t know, and that single fact drilled into her mind like a woodpecker to the heart of a tree. 

As Toph nearly went mad in her thoughts, she suddenly sensed the movement of Yaling towards the edge of the tent, and she stood as tall as she could muster, her body jumping up like a coil that had been bunched up tightly and then let go. Her steadiness wavered, edging on the brink as she awaited the emergence of Yaling from the tent. 

Sure enough, Yaling stepped a foot out of the tent, then swung her other foot around and stood straight in front of her tent. Then she turned and began her march back to where Toph stood, a bag clutched tightly in her hands. 

The few moments that it took Yaling to walk over to Toph seemed infinite, drawn out torturously long like the heat in the summer. Every step brought with it an ache, a yearning for something Toph knew not. The tenseness filled the air again, permeating the park as Yaling stepped closer and closer.

_Step step step._

She could still run away now, Toph had realized.

_Step step step._

She could still take back her offer, turn Yaling down. 

_Step step step._

She could still leave. Return to her daughters and leave Yaling behind.

_Step step step._

Toph’s decision cemented as Yaling took her final step, feet coming to rest still as the earthbender stood tall in front of Toph, bag at her side and brow cocked upwards, a sign of readiness. She cocked her head to the side, eyes burrowing into Toph’s face yet again, unknown to Toph as she stood there, awaiting some noise or break in the silence.

“Where is your house anyways?” Yaling inquired, slicing through the taut silence with a knife as Toph shuffled slightly in her place. Yaling seemed unknowing of the tenseness in Toph’s figure.

“Near the upper ring of the city, but still close to the shops and center.” Toph replied without a second thought, information drilling out of her head and past her open lips. “They offered me a place specifically among the elite neighborhoods, but I refused. I prefer to keep closer to the heart of the city.”

“I would’ve taken the offer.” Yaling mused, pursing her lip in a mix of amusement and surprise. She rested in the veil of middle-class poverty, staying among a homeless encampment with no money. 

“I’ve had enough of the snobby upper class for a lifetime, honestly.” Toph replied, cocking her brows. she shifted, taking into account her status compared to Yaling’s, briefly hoping she wasn’t putting the other earthbender off with her words. “They’re surprisingly insufferable.”

Yaling rolled her eyes, running her tongue briefly over her lips before letting her jaw run slack, her eyes gazing back to the supple ivory of Toph’s face. Her eyes began to trail over Toph’s face- from the edge of Toph’s hair, trailing to her clouded, blind eyes, down to her nose and over her lips, lingering briefly there, her eyes shining in an almost tantalizing way before Yaling’s eyes snapped upwards yet again, dissolving whatever had formed in her mind. She stiffened, her fingers clenching around the bag held tightly in her grasp. The other encampment-goers around them stared, shulking as they saw Yaling’s tense body language and felt the taut, heady silence held between them. 

“So,” Yaling finally spoke, shattering the silence with barely a whisper, testing the waters as she stood with tenacious confidence, “Shall we go then? To your house?”

Toph lifted her head. All the thoughts that had rushed through her head before had dissipated, thrown out by the very sense of Yaling standing there- assuring her that this was not fake or just some dream her mind had created, that Yaling really was there, bag in hand, ready to come home with her.

_Home._ What would that be now, with the fellow earthbender taking residence? It would be astronomically different from now on, the very atmosphere challenged by the notion of a new resident of the building. Her daughters- how would they react? Suyin wouldn’t bat an eye- she was, after all, still just a baby, uncaring to the world around her outside of her mom and sister. It would just be another face in her roster, a new hand to help her as she grew, another face to watch as she played. Lin, however, was a different story. The bright-eyed, eager and intrepid young girl was a fierce mix of stubbornness, wonder and an undercurrent of tenacity that singed whoever she came across. She was bright, with surprising intelligence and steadfast confidence, standing up to anyone and everyone whenever she felt the need. She’d question Yaling’s presence, her very existence within their walls, likely with more tenacity than most children her age. But that was Lin- fierce and determined, rough around the edges and seemingly uncaring of those around her, much like Toph had always been. Toph did see much of herself in the young girl, so she assumed (hoped, more like it) that she and Yaling would get along, considering her own attachment to Yaling on account of their similarity. But she knew Lin would question Yaling, challenge the earthbender’s presence- and Toph knew she’d face a challenge the moment she stepped through the doors of her apartment.

And yet, she wasn’t afraid. Perhaps just a little anxious, anticipating the approaching chaos of the unknown- which she found surprising in itself. Toph had always jumped into the unknown with very little fear or trepidation. She was a fearless woman, thrusting herself into whatever danger lay ahead of her purely for the sense of freedom and adrenaline it would spare her. Perhaps she was an adrenaline-junkie, she still wasn’t sure. But this was different, this was unknown. This was unprecedented, swirling with a sense of emotion that had never been present in any other situation in Toph’s life. She had no idea what this emotion was- it was a mix of a comforting warmth and yearning mixed with a bittersweet sense of nostalgic longing. Unbeknownst to her, it was a feeling of saudade, strong and firm in her mind and heart. And yet Toph didn’t know why it was there.

Toph shifted, pulling herself up to her full height- which was still half a head shorter than Yaling- and pursed her lips. The silence that filled the air was tantalizing, harrowing, and Toph knew whatever words spilled from her lips would change both of their lives from then on. But she was determined to face this head-on and jump right in, rationality and common sense be damned.

She reached her decision as she lifted her face, staring in Yaling’s direction as she opened her lips. “Yes, let’s go.” 

~~~~~

They were both silent as they walked back to Toph’s apartment. Toph stood in front, hands clenched as she made her decision with every step she took. 

She was really doing this. She was really doing this.

She still couldn’t believe she was even doing this- but what was life if not to take risks? And it seems her entire life had been a calculated risk from the moment she stepped foot out of her house towards Appa. Every moment since then had been a risk, some calculated and some not- but Toph had long since defined herself as a risk-taker. Even as she faced the dark unknown of what her life would become from this moment, she didn’t turn back. She didn’t dare to. 

She heard Yaling walking behind her. Yaling was taking each step with conviction, just like Toph was. The older earthbender was just as steadfast, no semblance of shaking or unsteadiness as she walked just feet behind Toph, uncaring to the world around them. 

The street they walked on was empty, no people or animals spare for the two women. They were in a more deserted area of the city, a part that Toph sometimes liked to walk through for her way home due to the peace and quiet. This time she took it to avoid the attention she knew she knew she’d get if she was seen walking with an unknown earthbender. Of course, the press wasn’t that bad- and no one dared mess with her anyways, knowing how fierce the metalbender was- but she preferred to figure everything out before the world knew. Be that as it may, she thought. She didn’t care to think about what others thought.

They were getting closer to her house now. She could sense it. Curiosity filled every inch of her bones, wondering and anticipating how Lin would react, how she’d explain this to her. But she’d made up her mind long ago. 

“It’s just up there.” Toph murmured, breaking the silence as she lifted her hand, extending her finger to point towards the apartment in front of them. 

She had to admit that her house was nice and definitely looked upper class, even though it wasn’t as expensive as most people would’ve expected. Despite having the immense wealth of her family behind her, she still partly resented it, preferring to live more modestly than her parents had expected her to. 

Yaling was taken aback by the apartment. She had expected a little bit more from the metalbender, expected something a bit more upper-class. The outside of the apartment seemed to resemble a bit of what her own house had been like- average and cozy, not too show off-y, but still a bit nice. It was pale in color, built out of some sort of stone, lined with dark green trim. The architecture was so like what you’d see in traditional earth kingdom towns, unlike the more modern houses that lined the city. That traditionalism added a charm to the house, one that made it quite welcoming and honest.

The front door was neat and light colored, much too plain for a house of its price- but Toph seemed to prefer modesty over luxury. A set of plain but comely stairs led to the door. Toph didn’t even turn back to Yaling as she padded up the stairs and towards the door, but she ultimately turned as she reached it. She cocked her head, gesturing to the door, silently calling to Yaling to walk up and join her at the door. Yaling took a step forward, then another and another, until she was just behind Toph. Toph nodded and reached her hand to the handle, taking it in her grasp and swinging the door open. 

As soon as the door opened, Yaling’s eyes drank in the sight of the apartment. The walls were a light olive green, pale and warm but plain. And there was a child.

Yaling paused.

_A child??_

Yaling stood in shock as she saw a little girl pad her way over to Toph, her arms outstretched. “Mama!” Cried the girl, her voice loud and supple, similar to what Toph’s voice had been when she was younger, just with an undercurrent of a lower octave. The girl landed in Toph’s outstretched arms, grinning as her mother picked her up and held her in the air. 

As Toph swung around, Yaling found her eyes glued to the girl’s face. The girl had silky black hair that bunched up at the ends, almost in curls, framing her face neatly. Her skin was almost the ivory color of Toph’s, just a shade paler. Her face was delicate yet strong, with hints of the well-defined and stocky features that were sure to develop later in life. 

Her eyes were a thing to behold. It took only the briefest of glances to tell the girl hadn’t inherited her mother’s blindness. Instead, her eyes were a bright and enchanting green, lively and full of youth. They locked onto Yaling’s face with an expression that was a mix of surprise and curiosity. The little girl was a sharp one.

“Who are you?” Asked the girl suddenly, breaking the silence that Yaling hadn’t even realized had formed. The girl’s lips pursed, her eyes boring into Yaling’s face with a burning determination, as though she was determined to figure out all pf Yaling’s secrets on the spot. Yaling paused. 

It was Toph who decided to step in and save Yaling, perhaps sensing the slight tension. 

“This is Yaling,” Toph explained, pressing a hand to her daughter’s cheek. Her daughter shifted and let her eyes trail over Yaling’s face with a new token of knowledge, drinking in her features. “She’s an old acquaintance of mine. Yaling,” Toph held a hand out, catching the earthbender’s attention, “This is my eldest daughter, Lin.” 

Yaling shifted, pausing at the development. She hadn’t expected Toph to be a mother. “I didn’t realize you had a daughter.”

“Two.” Toph supplied, blinking as Yaling twisted in sudden shock at the word. “Two daughters.”

Before Yaling could speak in reply, a woman breached the doorway of the living room. She was a much older woman, looking to be in her early 60’s or so. Her hair was long and gray, resting on her chest. It fell to her shoulders and then had been crafted carefully into a neat braid, resting on her bosom with grace and elegance. Her eyes were thin and dark green, but warm, looking at Yaling with a curious but welcoming expression. 

As for her clothes, she wore a neat green robe, trimmed with gold, tied at the waist with a thick dark brown belt. The robe fell to her knees, where a pair of light cream colored baggy pants rested on her legs, ending at a pair of neat brown shoes. The robe also adorned her arms, sleeves falling to her wrist and lined with gold trim. Overall, it was a nice-looking but plain outfit- like a well-off woman trying to hide in with the crowd. 

And then Yaling’s eyes fell onto the baby in the woman’s arms- _the baby_. The baby was a beautiful little thing, with silky black hair that almost fell into curls around her face. Her skin was tanned, much darker than Toph’s- likely due to whoever the girl’s father was. She had large, curious green eyes, bright and full of light. Her face almost looked like a doll’s, delicate and enchantingly beautiful. She was a thin baby, with small hands and even smaller fingers that reached out towards Toph. 

The woman holding her stepped forward, and Toph placed her eldest daughter onto the ground before reaching out to take the baby in her arms. As soon as the baby landed in her mother’s embrace, she nuzzled her head into Toph’s chest and fisted the fabric of Toph’s robe, holding it tightly in her delicate hands as she drank in her mother’s presence. The baby was quite enamored with her mother, Yaling realized. 

“Yaling,” Toph spoke, turning so Yaling could fully see the infant’s face, “This is my second daughter, Suyin.” 

Yaling found herself unintentionally lifting her hand, bringing it to rest on the baby’s cheek. Suyin watched Yaling with wide, curious eyes, drinking in the sight of the earthbender. As Yaling caught herself and began to retract her hand, Suyin reached out one of her own, grabbing at Yaling’s fingers. Ultimately the baby grabbed ahold of Yaling’s pointer and latched onto it, catching Yaling’s hand in place.

Toph chuckled. “I think she likes you.”

Yaling cocked a brow at the infant, whose eyes were still glued to her face. “I never would’ve thought a baby would like me.” She murmured.

“Well, Suyin does tend to like people. Doesn’t grab many people’s hands, though.”

Yaling hummed, staring at the baby. “She has your nose.”

Toph smiled at that.

“Your name’s Yaling?” Spoke Ahnjong, shattering the silence. Yaling just nodded, barely lifting her eyes from the baby. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. My name’s Ahnjong.”

Yaling’s eyes briefly flickered to the older woman, pursing her lips for a brief moment. “It’s nice to meet you too.” 

Ahnjong smiled before she glanced at Toph. “Do you need anything more, Miss Beifong, or shall I excuse myself?”

“You can go, Ahnjong.” Toph murmured. “Please do say hi to your son for me.” 

Ahnjong nodded. “I will.” 

The older woman took the moment to excuse herself, grabbing her bag as she headed to the door. She waved a hand at Toph as she swung the door open, then proceeded to walk outside and close the door politely. 

As soon as the door was closed and silence filled the apartment, Yaling found herself glancing up at Toph, her eyes scanning from the top of Toph’s face all the way to Suyin’s face. “I wouldn’t have ever expected you to be a mother.” She mused.

Toph shrugged her shoulders, pressing a finger to Suyin’s cheek as Lin tugged on her pants. “Me neither. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Being a mom is surprisingly wonderful.” 

“Where’s their dad?” Yaling asked, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop herself.

Toph lifted her head, but showed no offense on her face- slightly easing Yaling’s concern. “They have different dads, but both of them left whileI was pregnant.” 

Yaling scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. “Wow. Sucks to be them.”

Toph couldn’t help but curve the sides of her lips into a grin. She hadn’t expected Yaling to defend her so eagerly. 

“My dad did the same.” Yaling murmured, shifting her eyes to Suyin. “He was a nonbender. I think he’s the main reason my mom developed a hatred for nonbenders, because he left us.” 

Toph shook her head and pursed her lips. “Men.”

Yaling couldn’t help but laugh. She blinked, wiping at her eyes. “You can say that again.”

Toph grinned. She had a feeling that perhaps Yaling crashing here wouldn’t be as bad as she had thought.


	5. The more it takes away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Yaling dance around each other as they struggle to form a routine in the fact of each other’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is mainly filler, hidden backstory and thoughts, not much plot. still, a lot of yaling content which i hope you’ll all enjoy!!

_My soul made love  
to your soul  
long before  
our bodies met._

_When I first  
laid my eyes  
on you,  
I recognized you._

_You held my future  
in your hands._

A few days had passed since Yaling had begun crashing at Toph's house, and the two women had begun a routine of dancing intricately around each other. 

The first night that Yaling was there, Toph showed her to her room. It was a corner room, neatly dressed with pale green walls, a medium-sized bed and a desk in the corner. Yaling had taken an extra pillow from the closet upon asking Toph, then settled in bed without dinner. Lin had come in to bid her goodnight, offering the woman a small pebble. As Yaling extended her hand to take it, the girl plopped it in her hand and smiled, letting her eyes trail along her face. The girl had then turned and left without a word, waving a goodbye to Yaling as she exited the room and closed the door behind her. 

She had awoken the next morning to the smell of food cooking. Toph was cooking noodles with her daughter Suyin wrapped nicely in a sling on her chest. Her hands were moving in practiced movements, as though she had cooked the meal a hundred times before. Yaling found herself sitting down at the table, as Toph turned to face her general direction, eyes staring way above Yaling’s head as she waved. 

“Good morning,” She had spoken, turning back to continue fixing the noodles, “I’m making rice noodles. I hope you like those.”

Yaling found herself nodding. “It does sound better than prison food.” 

Toph’s face flashed into a solemn expression for the briefest of moments, so quickly that Yaling barely noticed before Toph turned her head fully away and continued working at the noodles. 

Yaling took the moment to let her eyes trail along Toph’s house. It was plainer that Yaling had expected- then again Toph was blind, what use would she have for decorations- but there were some mementos scattered in the space. On the mantle sat three photographs, hugged by neat wood frames. First was a photograph of Toph still in her youth, surrounded by a group of people- a bald monk boy dressed in yellow and orange robes that Yaling recognized as Avatar Aang; a dark-skinned water tribe girl that Yaling recognized as Katara; a dark-skinned water tribe boy she recognized as Sokka, a boomerang clutched in his hands; a short haired girl she recognized as that chi-blocker who paralyzed her (Suki was her name, Yaling believed); and a scarred boy with dark hair, dressed in fire nation robes- someone she ultimately recognized as Fire Lord Zuko. They were all smiling warmly, a fondness easily apparent in the air between them. They were all friends- and for the briefest of moments, Yaling wondered what that was like before she turned her eyes to the next photograph. 

The second photograph was the same group of people but in adulthood- older and taller, the hints of their youth still present underneath the lines of age. Katara and Aang stood in a partial embrace, hands around each other as they stared at the camera. Then stood Sokka, Suki and Zuko- Suki stood in the middle of the two men, her arms wrapped around both of them as she stood wrapped by their own. A smile was plastered on all of their faces, filled with a passion and warmth- they were all in love, Yaling realized. An odd pairing, but Yaling wasn’t one to judge. And in the middle, between the two couples, stood Toph- alone and isolated, hand pointing to the camera as she stood with an unreadable expression on her face. Yaling wondered if it was one of sorrow or jealousy, but she couldn’t tell.

And the last photo, sitting on the edge of the mantle, was one of Toph years younger but still in her adulthood, a smile on her face unlike anything Yaling would’ve expected. It was a mix of both unbridled joy and wonder, the slightest hints of worry gracing the very edges of her face as Yaling noticed a baby wrapped in her arms. It wasn’t Suyin, Yaling quickly noticed- the facial features were different, her skin paler and face just slightly plumper. It had to be Lin, Yaling realized. 

The two were not in a hospital setting, Yaling noticed- it was a family portrait, the pair dressed in somewhat graceful outfits as they stared at the camera. Toph’s arms were curled around the baby, holding her close to her chest. The baby had her lips pursed, staring at the camera with what Yaling imagined were beautifully green eyes, hidden by the shades of black and white and gray of the photograph. Her silky black hair fell in small half ringlets, framing her face. Her hair was longer than the average baby’s- or at least Yaling assumed so, unknowing of the girl’s age in the photo. She looked to be younger than what Suyin was now, so Yaling assumed she was four or five months. In that photo Yaling found a longing resting in her chest, a feeling that fluttered only briefly before she crushed it down. 

Yaling’s eyes fluttered from the third photograph to the rest of the apartment, ultimately settling back on the form of the younger woman in front of her, still cooking the noodles. A wonderful smell began to permeate the apartment, filling and swirling into every corner. A few moments after the smell began swirling, Toph finished her cooking, taking the noodles and pouring them onto separate plates. She walked over, kindly presenting a plate in front of Yaling before she placed the others down, taking the opportunity to step away and wake her eldest daughter.

Yaling had taken the noodles into her mouth, savoring the unexpectedly wonderful taste. For the briefest of moments, as she munched on the noodles, she felt a strange feeling- a feeling that she was finally in a family setting, so unlike anything life had granted her before. Her mother hadn’t been one for family bonding- her clear favoritism for Yaling and hatred of nonbenders like her own daughter always caused a strange tension amongst them. She had never been granted the opportunity to be given a normal family. Of course, she knew this wasn’t her own family, nor one she’d be granted- but it was still a comforting thought. 

Then Toph had walked back in with a sleepy Lin and baby Suyin still wrapped tightly to her chest, and Toph sat Lin in a seat and the mother and daughter began eating, baby still wrapped to her chest. The three of them sat and ate, a pale mirror of a true family.

The rest of the day had passed uneventfully- Toph had a day off from her work. However, the metalbender busied herself with training her daughter Lin in the yard. Yaling had taken a moment to glance at the mother-daughter pair as they earthbended together- _so Lin was an earthbender,_ Yaling realized. 

The two shifted in practiced movements, the young girl a bit more immature in her movements, but still eager and methodical. Toph would move in a demonstration, earthbending as the young girl watched her, then copied her movements. _She was a good teacher,_ Yaling thought to herself. 

Yaling found herself staring at the two as they earthbended in the yard. Memories of her own mother training her filled her mind, the bittersweet reminder of her own lack of a true family setting eating away at her.

And then, before any more feelings could bubble in her chest, Yaling turned and walked away from the window, obfuscating her view as she went to hide herself in the corners of the apartment. 

Lunch had passed without incident. Toph had fixed some roast turtleduck, placing it in front of Yaling before the wails of a baby- Suyin- pierced through the apartment and she ran towards the noise. Yaling ate in silence, ignoring the piercing stares from the little girl sat across from her. When Toph returned, Yaling quickly finished her food and gathered some things, before excusing herself to return to the encampment and help out the residents. 

She had returned in the evening, when the sky had been painted with beautiful reds and oranges and pinks and purples. It was a masterpiece, Yaling thought. 

When she had finally walked through the doors, Toph was tending to Suyin in another room and Lin was practicing her bending with some pebbles in the front room. The young girl had lifted a hand at the sound of the door opening, waving politely at Yaling before continuing to practice with the pebbles. 

Dinner was silent but tense. Yaling once again fell into slightly restless sleep.

~~~~~

The next few days became an echo of that day- spare for the days Toph had to work, and instead found herself abandoning the apartment and the tension left behind in it. Ahnjong continued to show up despite the sudden appearance of Yaling, to no objection. The earthbender was far from a wonder with children, and appreciated the hands to help with the children so that she wouldn’t be left alone.

Toph had come up with a half-truth to give Katara and Aang a reason as to why she had to cancel meeting them, ultimately settling on telling them that something had come up at work and she had to run back and cancel on them. The pair had believed it easily- either they really trusted Toph or they just weren’t able to tell when she was lying (oh the blessings of never having taught Aang how to truth-seer). She had then patted Tenzin on the head, gave all three children a steamed bun and had left the island to return home, insisting that she needed to return to her own children.

When she returned to her apartment, she found Yaling sleeping on the couch, eyes closed and chest slowly rising and falling as breath ghosted her lips. Her face was painted olive and her head thrown back, a pillow tucked in her arms. Toph only wondered what Yaling’s face looked like, yearning to drink in the sight if only the universe hadn’t flipped her that coin long ago. Then again, she tried to not dwell on what her life would be like had she not been given blindness from birth. 

Lin was reading a book as she sat on Toph’s bed, looking up to watch her sister in her crib. Ahnjong had been busy that day, and so Toph had resigned herself to leaving Yaling alone with the children as she ran out to visit her friends. Lin ended up saying that apparently Yaling had fallen asleep after making sure Suyin was okay in her crib, and that Lin had taken to sitting by her sister to ensure nothing happened. Toph had to say she wasn’t too surprised- she hadn’t been expecting Yaling to be big on caring for the children, and the stress from the past few days, along with constantly running out everywhere had likely left the earthbender feeling drained. Toph couldn’t blame her. 

Toph picked Suyin up, checking on her, before sending Lin off to practice her earthbending outside. Toph then took to fixing some lunch- today was some vegetable wraps with crab puffs as a side. It was a dish that her mother had used to enjoy and would make for Toph on special occasions. Even though Toph didn’t often visit her mother in Gaoling, it was still a dish she liked to prepare from time to time, enjoying the peaceful memories it gave her. As horrid and controlling as her parents had been, there were a few peaceful memories tightly woven in the back of her mind, playing on a loop whenever nostalgia fronted its head. 

By the time she finished fixing the food, the savory smell had woken Yaling up from her place on the couch. She rubbed her eyes, blinking as she took in the sight of Toph in front of her, holding dishes of food in her hands. As Yaling stood and settled herself in a chair, Toph placed the plates down and gathered her daughters. Yaling took some bites out of her food as Lin was settled into a chair and Suyin was placed in a high chair. The baby giggled before taking the food Toph had specially prepared- a mix of ground up mango and moon peaches, shredded and ground to a mush that was ingestible by babies. Suyin clapped her hands, staring at the food with joy as Yaling watched her curiously. Yaling found herself completely pausing, ignoring her food as she instead took to watching the baby as she ate her food. Toph noticed Yaling’s head turned, assuming she was watching the baby, but she paid it no mind. Yaling stayed there, watching Suyin with wonder and longing, hints of hiraeth tracing her movements and being. She barely even ate as she watched her. 

As Suyin finished eating, Yaling finally took to her own food as Toph picked Suyin up and began patting her back. 

As soon as the food was gone, Yaling stood to leave when Toph approached her, baby in arms. Yaling raised an eyebrow, glancing at the woman and baby. Toph didn’t seem to notice as a smile graced her lips. 

“Would you like to hold her?”

Yaling’s face fell slack-jawed, locking her eyes with the baby in front of her. Suyin was staring at her, a mix of tranquility and wonder swirling in her green eyes. Suyin’s eyes were enchantingly beautiful- a stunning lime green color, bright and swirling with life. The baby watched her, clasping the fabric of Toph’s sleeves as she stared at Yaling.

Despite her mind screaming at her, Yaling shifted and held out her arms, tensing as Toph moved forward. The baby was placed delicately into her arms, Suyin immediately clutching onto the fabric of Yaling’s clothes as her lime eyes stared even deeper into Yaling’s face. Toph stood back and turned to face Lin and help clean her up. As Toph turned her attention away, Yaling lifted a hand to place onto the delicate dark olive skin of Suyin’s face. The baby leaned into the touch, welcoming it as though the touch was one of a parent long gone. Once again Yaling was reminded of her painful thoughts, the realization that her presence brought with it a pale, bittersweet mirror of the family she could have here, a feeling of hiraeth plaguing her entire being. She tried to shake the thought as she shifted to return Suyin to Toph’s arms, but the baby nuzzled her face into the fabric of Yaling’s clothes, closing her eyes and breathing softly as her hand grasped her shirt tightly, wading into the blankets of sleep. 

Yaling stared down incredulously at the baby, pausing as every fiber in her body stood still and taut with the weight of the situation. A baby was asleep in her arms,a baby so content with her embrace that it lulled said baby to sleep. A baby trusted her, felt safe and comfortable and content in her arms. For the first ever time in her arms, a baby loved and trusted her enough to fall asleep in her arms.

As she stared at the sleeping baby in her arms, glimmers of her sister’s photographs flashed in her mind, the image of her niece and nephew and the fact that she nad never gotten the chance to hold them while they were babies. Then she realized she had also never gotten the chance to even look at them while they were young. 

It took everything in Yaling’s being to hold back her tears from forming. 

~~~~~

Toph found herself reminiscing on the past memories she had with Yaling as the fellow earthbender danced around her apartment over those first few days. She found herself daydreaming, imagining the fellow earthbender.

Even if she had never seen Yaling, an image of the older woman had already formed in her mind- long, light colored hair that was now cut short, strong and calloused hands, lanky arms that were colored by the slightest definition of muscle. She had a strong, ethereal scent- a mix of the earth, sandalwood and cedar, twirling into a mix that reminded her of walking through the woods on a fall night. She had an air about her- one of unending, incorrigible, intrepid confidence, roaring in a swirling cloud around her as if it were a shield. 

When she was young, she remembered Yaling’s intrepid ferocity, the way she carried herself as a weapon. She had been a powerful young girl, refusing to bow down to the rough world around her, but taking a chunk of it instead and carving it into what she wanted. Her energy, the way she carried herself, her determination, her strength- it was all so enchanting. She walked with confidence streaking each step, her movements both light and heavy at the same time. She walked as though she were a soldier with no worries or troubles in the world- and something about that was so alluring to Toph in a way she couldn’t describe. And this feeling began to eat away at her, tearing through every fiber of her being as she struggled to discover just _what_ it was. Whatever this feeling was, she had never felt it before. 

She remembered meeting Yaling for the first time- how Yaling had walked into the room, how she had taken dirt into her hands and molded it into a beautiful Kyoshi statue- one that had slightly impressed Toph, even if she refused to admit it. How impressed Yaling had become when Toph metalbended, the wonder and energy filling her voice as her eyes became as wide as saucers watching her. How Yaling had so quickly asked to be her mentoree, wishing to learn metalbending from her, putting aside her pride to ask for her help. 

She remembered their day together on the beach- the unending frustration in Yaling as she failed to metalbend, the relaxation that had then seeped into her form as she sat and talked with Toph, sifting her hands through the sand. How comfortable they had both felt in each other’s presence, how easy they got along, how it felt as though they had been friends for years already. Their conversation, the mellowness in both their voices as they talked as though they were old friends. 

And she remembered the day they fought, the day she betrayed Yaling, the day Yaling was imprisoned. She remembered how Yaling had fought with a tenacity equal to Toph, how she had put up a nearly equal fight despite being much lower in skill. How she had fought so tirelessly, chased after her so recklessly, and how she had sat in unending sorrow and bitterness as she was locked behind the metal bars. 

She remembered their last moments together. She remembered feeling and sensing Yaling in that cage, bitterness emanating from her entire being as she most likely stared at Toph with anger. The feeling of betrayal that poured from her stiff form in waves. How Toph, for one of the first times in her life, felt genuinely bad as she walked away and left Yaling behind. How a small tang of remorse was stuck in her heart for the next few days after she helped rebuild and then left Cranefish. How that pang of remorse had swirled back up again, tearing and ripping to the surface and plaguing the metalbender. 

There was nothing she could really do to take everything back, she knew that. The past was the past, unchangeable, incorrigible. Not even Toph, the all-powerful metalbender she was, could turn back the hands of time and undo what she had done. She knew that.

And yet she found herself yearning to, wanting so desperately to undo what she had done, the betrayal she was forced into committing against one of the only souls she had found true comfort and likeness in. She wanted to make it up to Yaling, to try and give her a new life to replace the wasted years that she had spent in that prison cell. She wanted to fully apologize, to undo what she had done to the furthest extent she could. 

And, in the further corners of her mind, she oddly also found herself craving friendship, and maybe even something more- something she knew not. There was a longing present in her being, a yearning. And she wanted to know for what.


	6. A home for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings have been budding and festering in the apartment during Yaling's stay, and everything changes as they slowly begin to come to a head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> strap in tophling nation, this chapter is a massive 6k words!!! also, a bit of a drum roll please!! this chapter's a wonderful one ^^

_I don't know how you are  
so familiar to me- or why it feels less like  
I am getting to know you  
and more as though I am remembering who you are.  
How every smile, every whisper  
brings me closer to the impossible conclusion  
that I have known you before,  
I have loved you before- in another time,  
a different place, some other existence._

~~~~~

Toph was torn out of her sleep by a wailing baby yet again. She blinked, rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes as she sat up, lifting her head towards her baby in the corner of the room. She stood, groaning at the ache shooting through her body. She stretched quickly, cracking her knuckles and joints before she padded over to the crib, leaning over to grace her daughter with her presence, hoping the sight of her would calm her daughter down some. Suyin didn’t stop wailing.

Toph let out a resigned sigh and dipped her hands into the crib, grabbing at her daughter and pulling the baby into her arms. Suyin continued to wail.

As she began patting her daughter on the back, she heard footsteps, and turned to sense Yaling in the doorway, tiredness emanating from her entire being as she stood with wide eyes. Toph lifted her head.

“She’s crying.” Yaling commented, shifting to stand straight and tall as her eyes landed on the baby wrapped lovingly in her arms.

Toph nodded, running her hands over Suyin’s back as the wails continued. “She’s a baby. Babies cry, unfortunately.” Toph replied. She continued to rub Suyin’s back, but the baby didn’t want comfort. Sighing, Toph shifted her hands to lift her shirt up.

Yaling stumbled, nearly falling as she struggled to not trip on herself. She spun around, catching herself on the wall as she finally averted her eyes away from Toph, who lifted her shirt up and pressed Suyin against her chest. As Suyin finally quieted and began suckling, Toph realized what she had done, a heavy blush settling on her face as she turned her face away.

A silence filled the air as Suyin suckled, neither woman moving. Toph didn’t know why Yaling wasn’t moving- there wasn’t anything tying her to this particular spot, but yet she stayed. She didn’t move, something resting in the air about her- _she wanted to talk_.

After a long, tense silence, Toph finally felt Suyin release. She tugged the baby, lifting her shirt back down before placing the baby on her shoulder, patting her back gently. As Suyin finally burped, Yaling tensed, taking the sound as a go-ahead to slowly turn back around. As she finally turned around and faced Toph, a blush rose on her face, but she shook it away, not noticing Toph’s own blush that also disappeared as quickly as it had emerged. Her eyes found their way to Toph’s face, and she studied the younger woman for a moment.

“Is she okay?” Yaling inquired softly, breaking the silence as her eyes landed on the baby on Toph’s chest. Suyin was gurgling, her bright eyes wandering to eventually find their way onto Yaling’s face. In the three weeks since Yaling had started living with Toph and her daughters, Suyin had become quite enamored with the older woman. They had found that once a day, Suyin would start wailing and wailing and wouldn’t stop until she was in Yaling’s arms. No amount of consoling by Toph or lullabies would calm her, only the warmth of Yaling’s embrace and her soothing voice.

It was almost as though the baby had taken Yaling as her second parent, finding the same level of comfort in her arms as she did in Toph’s.

Neither woman was quite sure what to make of this new development, but it definitely caused a shift between them. Yaling, who had already been holding onto a desperate but in vain dream of having a family, was torn by the development of a baby considering her a parent. She’d stare at Suyin, running her eyes all over the baby in her arms. Suyin often fell asleep in her arms, nuzzling her face into the woman’s chest. Yaling melted at the touch, struggling to keep herself from crying each time Suyin fell asleep in her arms.

Toph lifted her head to meet Yaling’s, a soft but tired smile curving onto her lips. “She’s okay. She was just hungry.”

Yaling stared. “Ah.” A blush settled on her face as she realized the implications, but her embarrassment went unnoticed by the blind woman in front of her. She cocked her head, glancing at the baby, who was once again staring at her with wide lime eyes. Yaling lifted her eyes just barely, taking to look at Toph’s face instead- catching herself when her eyes lingered on Toph’s lips for a moment too long.

“She woke you up, I’m guessing?” Toph murmured, staring in the direction of Yaling, her clouded eyes missing the woman’s face. There was an unreadable expression on her face, smoothing over her features as she stood with Suyin nuzzling to sleep in her arms.

Yaling just nodded, her eyes landing on Toph’s face yet again. “Yeah. I guess I’m just not used to being woken up by loud wailing.”

Toph chuckled lowly, rubbing a hand along Suyin’s back to coax the baby into sleep. “The woes of being a mother and living with a baby, I’m afraid.”

Yaling nodded absentmindedly. “How old is she now?”

Toph lowered her head. “Nine months, as of two weeks ago.” A bigger smile graced her lips as her hands traced over Suyin’s face as the baby finally drifted into sleep.

“She’s getting big.” Yaling commented, absentmindedly lifting a hand to reach for the baby’s face. As she realized what she was doing she retracted her hand, turning her head away ever so slightly.

Toph tilted her head, curiosity filling her voice. “Is she?”

The metalbender’s blindness struck Yaling in the face. She found it mad how many times she forgot the woman in front of her was blind, despite her cloudy eyes showing so prominently on her face. Toph moved without any of the delicacy one would expect of a blind person- she was rough, hazardous, walking with much more confidence than the average person. She shifted in practiced movements, taking advantage of the world around her in ways most seeing people couldn’t. She molded the world around her, sought its weak points and manipulated them to fit her needs. She was intelligent, cunning, sharp- but at the same time, during times like these, her inner vulnerability shone through. For beyond the face of a confident, uncaring woman laid a caring, soft individual who worshipped the world around her via touch and second sight.

And behind everything, Toph was a mother- a mother who had never seen the faces of her own children. Toph _was_ a confident woman who took pleasure in her blindness and the abilities it granted her, but deep down she did sometimes yearn to not be blind, so as to see her daughters’ faces. It was a faint, fruitless whim, one she knew would yield nothing, but it was one that had crept its way into her heart nonetheless.

And here she stood, a slight vulnerability shining in every fiber of her being as her words hung in the air. Toph may be a tougher-than-rocks earthbender, but she was also a mother. Yaling couldn’t blame her.

“She is.” Yaling replied warmly. “Of course, I haven’t really seen any other babies to compare her to, but she definitely looks healthy.”

And with just those few words, Yaling managed to assuage any worries that had begun to bubble up in the metalbender’s mind. Her body shifted in relief, apparent enough that Yaling was able to notice it, burying her happiness at it by shifting her body.

“That’s good.” Toph murmured, barely loud enough for Yaling to hear. The vulnerability that she had been so fruitlessly hiding bubbled to the surface, lambent and swirling along her body. The very edges of Yaling’s lips, curved up ever so slightly, before she hid her contentment behind an unreadable face.

“Breakfast, then?” She questioned, cocking an eyebrow as she lifted her face. Toph started.

“Oh, yes.” Toph murmured, shifting Suyin into a more comfortable position on her chest as the baby fisted the fabric of Toph’s shirt, “Just give me a second.”

Yaling moved to the doorway and watched as Toph shifted, moving with immaculate ease with a baby in her arms. She leaned down, grabbing a blanket from her bed, tucking it in her hand. With only a few practiced movements, she swung the blanket around Suyin’s sleeping form and around her own torso, tying it and tugging until it fell into a sling, holding Suyin delicately in its clutches without any assistance from Toph.

Toph then made her way towards the doorway, moving expertly around Yaling towards the main room. Yaling paused, glancing after the metalbender as she walked off and disappeared into the main room.

“What are you doing?”

Yaling nearly jumped at the sudden voice as it harshly ripped her out of her trance. She spun around, almost tripping as she balanced herself and finally faced the little girl standing there in the hallway.

Her eyes settled on Lin as the young girl stood taut- and Yaling took the opportunity to fully drink in the girl’s appearance. Lin was tall for her age, Yaling suddenly realized. The young girl was up to the top of Yaling’s breast, her size and stature befitting that of an eight year old- despite Toph saying she was only six and a half or so. She stood right below four feet tall, if not exactly four feet tall. She was big for her age, and Yaling wondered briefly how she was this tall given how short Toph was- then Yaling realized Lin must’ve inherited this from her father, whoever he was.

Lin’s face was a beautiful thing. Her skin was the same ivory shade as Toph’s, colored much younger and quite smooth. Her eyes were sharp and wide, a deeper shade of green than Suyin’s, but still as curious and youthful, holding an incredible amount of emotion and thoughts for a girl her age. Her hair was short and solid black, a beautiful shade of raven black that was darker than the night sky and even darker than obsidian. It was quite wavy, falling past her chin as it bounced slightly with each of her movements. She resembled her mother in appearance, the main difference being the stocky traces along her jaw that were sure to develop later. Yaling could only imagine how sharp a jawline the girl would have as an adult.

Lin’s face, meanwhile, was alight with a vibrant mix of energy, tenacity and perseverance, all of which colored her face in deep shades. Despite the tenseness that had been in the air the past few weeks, Lin was unmoved.

She had never seen such an intrepid and determined young girl- not even in herself or her sister when they had been that age. Lin stood with equal force to her mother, standing as though she was challenging the very world with every step she took. She may have been just six or seven years old, but Lin was already a whirlwind of a girl. Yaling only wondered what kind of a person Lin would grow up to be.

“Your sister was crying.” Yaling replied, straightening her posture as she locked eyes with Lin. “I went to check on her, but your mom was already tending to her. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Lin pursed her lips, staring at Yaling, none of her determination fading or dissipating. There was an edge to the little girl’s behavior, an eternal question hidden behind her lips and skin, burning white-hot to escape, and yet still kept at bay by her sheer determination. This situation had presented an opportunity, however. An opportunity for whatever questions that laid in Lin’s mind to rip forward and tear themselves into the world. She shifted, carrying her weight to both of her feet as she stood firm and tall.

“Are you my mom’s friend?” Lin asked, her voice crisp and strong, thrumming with curiosity. She raised her head, exposing a length of her neck as she bored into the expanse of Yaling’s face. Her eyes were piercing and sharp, almost as though they were staring into Yaling’s soul.

Yaling pondered her answer for a moment, taking the opportunity to genuinely question her relationship to Toph- something she hadn’t actually thought about since their reunion. She hadn’t ever really properly thought about just what Toph was to her, even after Toph had welcomed her into her home and given her a place to stay. After a few silent moments, she finally reached an answer. “I wouldn’t say I’m a friend of your mom’s. I’m more of an acquaintance, really.”

Lin’s lips pursed. “Are you sure? Mom isn’t like this around acquaintances. You have to be her friend.” There was a note of assurance to her voice, as though she was confidently stating a fact of life. “How do you know my mom?”

Yaling kneeled down, uncaring as her knee hit the cold stone floor. Her eyes locked with Lin’s once again as they became level, the little girl’s posture shifting slightly.

Yaling didn’t know why she had knelt down so easily to Lin’s level. She realized it was likely an unconscious act to make the child more comfortable, but the very fact of that shook Yaling more than she had expected. She wasn’t a children type of person- or really, maybe she was. She hadn’t ever really put much thought into it- children hadn’t ever been a big thought in her mind when she had been in Ba Sing Se, especially with the war raging. Then the war hit the city and her family had been forced to escape, and the thought of potentially starting a family was pushed further from her mind as her own family ran from the city with just the clothes on their backs. And after Cranefish Town and her imprisonment, any thoughts of even started a potential family had completely dissolved.

Still, she stayed there, kneeling an arm on her knee. “I met your mom many years ago, in unfortunate circumstances. We had to part ways, and ultimately it wasn’t that good of a parting. But we ran into each other again. Your mother noticed I didn’t have anywhere to go, and offered me a place to stay.” She paused, watching as Lin’s face shifted. “Your mother’s kind.”

At that, Lin’s face smoothed into something unreadable. Her eyes bored into Yaling’s own, the green of their eyes matching. The girl paused, contemplating Yaling’s words.

“So you knew my mama when she was young?” Lin finally questioned.

Yaling nodded. “I did.”

Lin studied Yaling’s face further, as though she expected to find evidence of lying. When she didn’t, she stood tall. “Don’t hurt my mama.” Lin said finally, lifting her head. “My mom’s been hurt by people, but she doesn’t show it. She likes you, miss. Please don’t hurt her, promise?”

Yaling’s body jerked, but she smoothed her face into an unreadable expression before concern could paint the young girl’s face. “I won’t. I promise.”

~~~~~

Toph wondered what had happened that morning as she sat at the table for lunch with Yaling and Lin. She had stood preparing some jook for breakfast when Lin and Yaling had walked into the room at the same time. Lin took some pebbles from the front room and bended them in her hands as she went to sit on the couch. Yaling stepped towards the kitchen, leaning forward to smell the jook.

“Do you need any help?” Yaling offered, tilting her head as her eyes traveled from the slowly simmering jook to Toph’s face.

Toph cocked her head in the direction of Yaling. “Do you know how to cook?”

Yaling shrugged in reply. “I would help my mom from time to time. I got the basics down pretty well at least.” She picked up a wooden spoon and glanced at the pot. “Besides, jook isn’t a very complicated dish. I’m sure I can figure it out.”

Toph’s lips pursed for a brief moment, before she nodded. “Sure, then. Can you cut some ginger for me? It should be over on the counter there.” Toph lifted her finger to point to a general area of the counter, where there was indeed some ginger. Yaling nodded and stepped forward, grabbing a cutting board and a knife to cut up the ginger. She quickly got to work chopping it up, using the knife with surprising precision. Toph was almost impressed by Yaling’s skills as she focused on the pot, cooing softly as Suyin stirred in the sling.

As Yaling finished off the ginger, she stared up at Toph. “Told you I got down the basics.” Yaling hummed confidently- Toph suddenly realized there must have been hints of surprise and shock painted on her face. Her expression smoothed and she tucked her head down.

“I can tell.” Toph murmured in reply, slightly nodded her head as she listened carefully to the sound of the pot. “I think that’s all I really needed help with, in terms of the pot.”

Yaling’s eyes lidded as she stared at the expanse of Toph’s face. Something had formed on the younger woman’s face, an expression that Yaling wasn’t quite sure she could recognize. It took her a few moments of tense silence, before a bulb went off in her brain.

“Do you need my help with anything else?” Yaling questioning, posing it as a curiosity. She tilted her head, staying where she was as she leaned her back slightly into the cool marble of the countertop. She had sensed a tenseness in Toph’s movements, almost as though the younger woman was wanting to ask something more of Yaling, but was too awkward or unsure to ask it.

Toph turned her head slightly, biting her lip. She was stuck in her thoughts for a few moments, her mental gears churning as Yaling waited patiently for an answer. For a few moments, there was complete silence in the room, spare for the sounds of Lin earthbending pebbles and the simmering of the jook on the stove.

Finally, Toph’s lips pursed and unpursed, and she lifted her head slightly awkwardly. “Ahnjong is busy today,” She started, “And I have to be at work.”

Yaling nodded her head. “You want me to watch your daughters?” She mused, figuring out the meaning behind Toph’s awkwardness almost immediately.

Toph nodded, before tilting her head in the earthbender’s direction. An air of consideration that had never been present before in the metalbender’s stature was glowing in her every move. “Am I asking too much?”

Yaling pursed her lips and stared at Suyin and then towards Lin, before her eyes made their way back to Toph’s face. “I mean, you’d have to tell me exactly what do to with them, but I’m not opposed to it. I’ve been crashing here for weeks now, I’d feel bad if I continually refused to help out.”

A small smile graced the corners of Toph’s lips at the words. “Thank you, Yaling.”

Yaling lifted her head and nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t mind watching over your daughters.” She turned her head towards Lin, who was sitting pleasantly on the couch. The young girl lifted her head, traces of a smile ghosting her lips as she held a hand up. Toph nodded pleasantly before picking up her spoon again and got to work cooking.

~~~~~

Toph bid a soft goodbye to her daughters and Yaling as she left that morning for work. They had enjoyed the jook, Yaling especially- Toph had noticed Yaling was a big eater, but she hadn’t really considered the thought. But Yaling ate everything that was put in front of her, and happily. A somber part of Toph just _knew_ it was because of her time in prison.

That somberness followed the Chief as she made her way to the police station. She usually didn’t walk with a heaviness to her movements, but she found herself doing just that.

Then again, everything in her life seemed to have changed the moment she laid her eyes on Yaling again. Toph really didn’t have an idea of what would’ve happened when she let the older woman back in her life, and she had been blown away. Yaling brought with her feelings Toph had never experienced. The fellow earthbender was a whirlwind force, tearing down everything Toph had known as if her walls were nothing but twigs. There was just something about Yaling that Toph couldn’t place.

Yaling was… different. Toph didn’t really know what else to say. She often found her thoughts consumed by the older woman- her voice, her stature and the way she carried herself. Toph may be blind and unable to ‘see’ people in the typical sense, but she was still able to see them in her own way. It was something she had developed since she was younger and discovered seismic sense. Her seismic sense was able to build a replica of the majority of someone’s body, leaving their face blank. But Toph could still tell their movements, and often people’s movements told a lot about them. Not to mention their smell and sounds they made. With all these separate little things, Toph was able to build an idea of a person in her mind, something she did with everyone she knew.

For Aang, he was a mild-mannered and soft spoken man, who was all soft despite his surprising height and build. He had a gentle scent, one of rosemary and sandalwood, encompassing him and giving off a pleasant feeling to any who encountered him. His movements were light and gentle, all the trademarks of a typical airbender. Toph wasn’t really too surprised by that.

For Katara, she was a more relaxed but warmer figure. She was average height, maybe reaching five feet six inches at most- a full head shorter than her husband. Katara was a ferocious and caring woman who smelled of the rain and sea salt- she reminded Toph of a thunderstorm at night, the winds and the rain and the comfort of listening to it while wrapped in a warm blanket. She was a very comforting presence- she the kind of woman who made everyone around her rather comfortable when she was in a good mood, and made the room tense when she wasn’t. She had all the trademarks of a typical waterbender- versatile and go-with-the-flow.

For Sokka, he was a warmer and more chaotic presence. He smelled of rain and forests, and moved around with versatility and energy. He was light on his feet, consuming the world around him unlike anyone she’d ever known. Sokka was sharp, intelligent- he was one of the only people who manipulated the world around him like she did. Toph had probably built his appearance the most- no doubt to the fact that Sokka was much more expressive than most people she’d met.

And there was Zuko, a more complicated figure. He reminded Toph of both a thunderstorm and a raging wildfire- warm, unbridled and fierce. He smelled of crackling log fires and the autumn winds. He still moved with a grace and elegance that was unexpected of him- despite being a fierce figure, he was cautious and intelligent, listening to his surroundings and rationalizing things. He wasn’t always the best at it, but his determination always pleased Toph.

And then there was Yaling. Yaling smelled absolutely ethereal- a mix of the earth, sandalwood and cedar- a mix that reminded Toph of walking through a silent and tranquil forest. She smelled of the earth, the woods, and everything Toph couldn’t name. She was like rain on a summer day, light and warm and comforting. She moved around the world in a unique way, different from most other earthbenders. She had grown wiser in prison- and in her growing age, she had truly come to mirror Toph. Yaling seemed to bend the world around her, exploiting it to her needs whenever she saw fit, never bowing down to the harsh realities it threw at her. She’d listen to everything around her, forming her actions to fit what reflected. She listened, and waited- just like Toph had always done.

Toph didn’t know what to do with the thought of Yaling that swirled ever presently in her mind. It was always how Yaling sounded, how she smelled, how she moved. Her laugh, her movements- the way her voice lightened whenever Suyin smiled at her, the way she relaxed as she watched Lin earthbend, the way she walked with a confidence to her every step. She was warm and comforting, in a way Toph hadn’t ever known. As she walked and walked, she found herself reaching a terrifying conclusion. And her movements ceased.

~~~~~

Toph’s entire body was heavy the rest of the day. It was enough of a difference that even her fellow officers had noticed it- not that any of them said anything. They knew better than to poke a sleeping platypus-bear.

There was quite a bit to do that day, which only furthered in sinking Toph’s mood. It had dawned on her early on that she likely wouldn’t return home until after dusk, something she hated doing to her daughters.

Becoming a cop at the behest of others was one of Toph’s only regrets- even if it allowed her to get away with small things whenever she saw fit. Her schedule had become much busier, and with juggling motherhood on top of that, her life had morphed into a never-ending chain of work and stress.

Sometimes, Toph did appreciate the workload when she had something she wanted to distract herself from. But this was different. Her mind and body were heavy and the work only added to it. She wanted to run home right that moment, but at the same time a small part of her was thankful to be far away from Yaling at that moment. Toph wanted to be stuck with her thoughts for a little while before she faced the older woman again. She wasn’t sure she’d even be able to properly face Yaling that night, if she truly was feeling what she believed she was feeling.

It was an all-encompassing warmth, soft and wonderful and yet so terrifying at the same time. It ravaged through her, lighting her entire being on fire with just the thought of Yaling. And Yaling never left her mind either. It seems as though the fellow earthbender had captured her mind and taken it captive. She could barely go an hour without Yaling on her mind, swirling through her thoughts. Toph was attached to the woman in some way, and it terrified her. She had never been afraid like this in her life- but then again, this was a feeling she had never encountered in her thirty nine years of life.

She had saved the world, helped restore balance, founded an entire city, helped make the first official police force and became the head of it, put hundreds of criminals away, and mothered two young daughters. Her life had been a whirlwind of emotion and turmoil, but she wasn’t sure what to think of this new roadblock. It seemed harder than that metal cage had been all those years ago, when she manipulated metal for the first time to bend to her whims. Now she was a much more powerful grown woman, capable of bending any person, mountain or thing to her whims. But not Yaling.

Yaling was a mountain in her own way- and she was an immovable one at that. She was a perfect mirror of Toph, taking all the traits and skills she had and adapting to them in her own ways. The two women were exactly the same, and yet that put them off more than it drew them together. After all, Toph was a hard woman to befriend or handle- the only two men who had managed to capture her attention had run away within mere months, likely out of fear or being overwhelmed by her sheer strength, stubbornness and personality. Toph was, after all, tougher than the rocks she bended, tougher than the metal she manipulated. She was not a soft woman, and she didn’t care for social niceties or bending to societal rules or laws- despite being a police officer herself. She did what she wanted, carved her own way, and held herself high. Yaling was equally tough and headstrong, carving her own way in a world that she used for her needs. It was something Toph admired, even if she’d never admit her admiration for the older woman. Toph wasn’t one to bow down to anyone.

Before her thoughts could completely capture her, Toph took to picking up some casework as she waited for her interpreter to arrive. She really didn’t know why some of the other officers would put paper in front of her, knowing she was blind and couldn’t read it, but they did it regardless. She collapsed into her chair, lips pursed. Only six more hours to go.

~~~~~

It was indeed dusk when Toph finally left work that day. The sky was painted with dark purples, grays and blacks as she closed the door behind her and groaned. It was off to home for her.

She weaved through the nearly empty streets with ease, hiding her smile as people moved eagerly out of her way. She took her usual path, ducking into more deserted and isolated streets as she made her way to her apartment.

As she got closer and closer, she could hear the soft laughter of her eldest daughter wafting from the building. She smiled softly as she approached the door, and with a beat of hesitation, opened it wide.

Lin was in the main room, an rock ball in her hands and a smile on her face. Yaling was next to her, holding a small dirt statue in her hands, formed into something the young girl had found funny. Suyin was near them on the floor, sitting on her own as she held small toys with her fingers.

Lin jumped up and ran over to Toph immediately, bowing in front of her. “Mama! You’re finally home!”

Toph leaned down and pressed her hands to Lin’s shoulders. “I am. I’m sorry for getting home so late, but I’ll fix dinner right away.”

Lin inhaled a whoop as she raised her hands to her face. She nodded eagerly, smiling wide. The little girl then turned her attention to the earthbender behind her, as Yaling deformed the small statue in her hands and stepped forward.

“I’m guessing work kept you busy?” She tilted her head, eyes gazing over Toph’s body. Toph nodded.

“Unfortunately. Gang activity’s been rising lately, they needed my help at the station today.”

Yaling just shrugged and went to scoop Suyin into her arms. Toph was surprised at the movement, how easily Yaling took the baby into her arms.

“Well, don’t worry about it. I kept your girls entertained today.” Yaling let a half grin, half smirk grace her face. “You take care of the food.”

Toph couldn’t hold her smile back as she stepped forward.

~~~~~

Dinner passed rather pleasantly that night. Toph had fixed some braised turtle-duck, with some crab puffs and seaweed rolls as the sides. Lin and Yaling had both eaten happily, as Toph ate smiling. For the first time since she had joined the Gaang, she felt like she was in a true family again- even if she knew it was likely just an illusion.

She found Yaling again that night, after tucking her daughters into bed. The earthbender was staring out one of the windows at the city below them, alive with twinkling lights and voices.

“Something on your mind?” Toph broached, stepping towards Yaling, who turned briefly.

“I’m- I’m not sure.” Yaling admitted, staring out the window. “I guess I never really knew if I’d get another shot at life. That prison was all I knew for years.”

Toph’s face fell somberly. “I’m sorry.”

Yaling cocked a brow, finally fully turning from the window. “Sorry for what?”

“Arresting you all those years ago.” Toph mused. “You were just your mother’s pawn, you weren’t a bad person. But because of me, you had to sit in a prison cell for years. I’m sorry for letting you stay there, for never breaking you out.”

Yaling shifted, pressing her arms to her chest. “Well, I’m sure you’d have gotten in a lot of trouble if you broke me out. Wouldn’t be a good look if the Chief of Police went around breaking out all her prisoners from prison, ya know.”

Toph shook her head. “I don’t care about what they’d think. I never have.” She lowered her head, her voice dropping as she realized she had never told this to anyone. “I never really wanted to be a cop. As I told you, I was practically forced into the job. I don’t care about abiding to their rules and norms. I’d have broken you out if I had the chance.”

Yaling stepped forward, her eyes grazing all over the ivory expanse of Toph’s skin. She tilted her head forward, her eyes locking with Toph’s clouded ones.

“You mean that?” She whispered.

Toph just nodded.

Yaling took another step forward, until the two women were barely two inches apart. Yaling’s dull green eyes had never looked as alive as she stared at Toph, something unknown swirling in those orbs of hers. Toph lifted her own head, shifting to try and stare the older, taller woman in the face. Toph hadn’t ever realized how tall Yaling really was. She was at least seven inches taller than her, maybe eight. Yaling was taller than the average woman, only making her appearance more formidable. But Toph wasn’t intimidated.

Time yet again seemed to stop as they stood there, captivated by each other. Neither woman moved at first, unsure or unwilling to break the silence and test the waters. There was still something unspoken between them, something only further ignited by whatever feelings that had come to rest in Toph’s chest.

The silence and tension didn’t last long though. Toph didn’t know who leaned forward first- but before she knew it, they were both leaning forward into each other’s presence. It seemed to last forever, the slowness of both their movements as they locked in.

Everything came to a crashing halt the moment their lips met. Toph had never known such a feeling in her life. It was soft, warm, comforting and ethereal. Yaling was rough but warm, shifting to almost cocoon Toph as her hand met the cool skin of Toph’s cheek. Toph leaned into the touch, finally letting her eyes flutter closed as she drank in the moment. It was indescribable. It may not have been her first kiss- that had been something stolen from her long ago by Lin’s father- but it was her first emotionally fueled kiss. The first kiss where she truly felt something- and it was absolutely ethereal.

It didn’t last as long as Toph would’ve wanted, as their lips finally parted and the silence was filled with small, warm breaths. They moved in sync, moving forward yet again in a warm but caring entwinement. Toph’s hands swung up onto Yaling’s face, embracing the warm skin there. Yaling’s hand still rested on her own cheek, the other landing softly on her back.

The second kiss was just as wonderful, if not slightly more fueled. Toph drank in the moment- how warm and lovely Yaling felt, the tang of their dinner in her mouth, her scent as it swirled around her. How tenderly Yaling held her, as though Toph was a delicate, important thing to her- something that for once, Toph didn’t mind. It was quite possibly the best moment of Toph’s entire life.

Toph should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

As they finally parted for real, panting softly, the realization of their actions seemed to have descended upon them. Without another word, Yaling’s arms disconnected from Toph’s form, and the earthbender rushed past her and back into her own room, closing the door with a bang.

And Toph stood alone, her thoughts and emotions swirling in a mess.

_What had she just done?_

__


	7. Hidden Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions and tension are left hanging in the air after Yaling and Toph's latest encounter. Meanwhile, a friend drops by for a surprise visit- and helps Toph confront a part of her she'd hidden away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the bit of a break! my head's been in the clouds the past few days, but here's the seventh chapter finally!!
> 
> also, it looks like this story will be eight or nine chapters- ten at the very most. we're almost there everyone!!!

_Am I scared?  
Of course I am.  
A love like this  
doesn't do anything  
but make you want to hold on tighter.  
And I don't know  
if this will push you away  
or bring you closer to me._

~~~~~

The next day had been nothing but a blur.

Toph had woken to Suyin’s wails, but no Yaling in the doorway. Toph had just shrugged it off and got to work fixing breakfast, gladly taking the opportunity for some time alone. However, when breakfast was all finished and she called for Yaling, the older woman stayed in her room. Toph grit her lips before eating with her daughters. When Toph finally cleared the messy plates away, Yaling jumped out of her room, gripped her plate of food and ran off with some supplies for the encampment.

It didn’t take Toph long to realize Yaling was avoiding her.

She told herself she shouldn’t be surprised. The kiss they had shared and whatever feelings that had finally roared to the surface with it would’ve been enough to scare even Toph away, had this not been her own apartment.

The metalbender sighed as she plucked Suyin out of her high chair and went to put her in her toy room. Lin trailed behind her mother, picking up a toy or two as she followed her to the toy room.

The toy room was the name for a small but still nicely sized room located in Toph’s apartment, on the first floor. It was nestled right between Lin’s room and the main room, easily accessible to the inhabitants of the apartment. The walls were painted a creamy-green color, settling the room into a calm atmosphere.

On the back wall rested a large bookshelf, with a few books littered and scattered on it, along with some pebbles, rocks and metals that Toph kept for her eldest Lin to be able to practice with. On the wall next to it sat two shelves, filled with many different things. The first was filled with toys, most of which were for Lin and the rest for Suyin. The second shelf was filled with more toys for Suyin, along with some regular baby items Toph had placed there just in case.

On the third wall sat a small dark green couch and a little wooden table with a few toys scattered on it. Paper scattered the walls of that corner, mainly little drawings and sketches that Lin had done. Despite Toph’s blindness, she had always encouraged Lin to draw if she wanted, as long as it didn’t take away from her earthbending.

Toph placed her daughter Suyin on the rug in the room, letting the baby relax into a sitting position before placing a toy in her grasp. Suyin clutched at the toy with her small fingers, giggling happily as she swung the toy in the air. Toph briefly smiled before she turned to walk back into the hallway, needing to finish cleaning up. Lin stayed in the room with her baby sister, taking a toy of her own as she played with the little baby.

Toph inhaled softly as she took the final plates and dumped them in the sink, letting the water run over them as she rinsed them with some rags. As the cool water ran over her fingers, Toph found her mind wandering to the night prior.

Toph hadn’t known what she had been thinking when she’d let herself lean in to the warm embrace of Yaling’s lips. Toph couldn’t deny that she had enjoyed the experience- she had never known such comfort or sweetness, even with either of her daughter’s fathers- but she knew she had possibly ruined whatever hopes there were for a rebuilt relationship between the two. She lifted her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, before her hand came to rest on her forehead instead. She let out a low sigh, inhaling as she came to grit her lips.

Her thoughts came to a head as she turned the water off. She hadn’t ever considered a relationship or having feelings for a woman. Despite being close to Sokka, Zuko and Suki, who were all in a relationship, Toph hadn’t ever really thought too much about the same sex- even after Mai and Ty Lee had gotten married. Romance was never something too present in Toph’s mind, despite the small, youthful part in the back of her mind that had always hoped for a proper relationship. First it had been her academy holding her back, then her work founding Republic City, then her police job. Then she had met her daughter’s fathers and had entertained the idea of a relationship, but both men had shattered that dream and abandoned Toph with a child in her womb. After becoming a mother for a second time, Toph had abandoned any thought of a relationship, burying it as far back in her mind as she could muster. Instead, she had proceeded to bury herself in her work and parenthood.

But Yaling had changed that.

Yaling was like no one Toph had ever encountered. The fellow earthbender, in all her rough and jagged glory, had given Toph something no one else had ever done- a true, legitimate feeling of love and yearning. Toph had never known love before meeting the older woman. She had realized later that night that she had felt traces of the feeling in her first encounters with Yaling all those years ago. It had been a warm, comforting feeling to her as a teenager, even if she hadn’t had a name for it then. That feeling had greatly escalated by now into something much more complex though- it was warm, comforting, and yet terrifying. She hadn’t ever thought she’d let her heart be so captured by anyone, least of all another woman and earthbender. And yet that’s what had ended up happening, as she found the older woman in her thoughts and heart, swirling and swirling and never leaving.

It had led Toph to an even bigger question- that of her own identity, which she had never cared to challenge. She hadn’t ever thought herself as anything but straight, even if she hadn’t ever been one for romance during her life. She had often glanced towards at men and ended up disappointed, but even after befriending Ty Lee and knowing her throughout her entire relationship with Mai, from the day they started dating all the way to their wedding and newfound parenthood, Toph had never considered women. But now she had to confront the realization that in some way or another, she did like women- there was no other reason she’d fall for Yaling, after all. She knew that very well, but there was still a part of her that was nervous and unwilling to confront that part of herself.

Toph hadn’t ever been one for fear. She’d always considered herself intrepid and challenging, jumping from risk to risk with no thought of her own safety. But this was different. This was a new part of herself she’d never thought of, something she’d hidden away long ago, hoping it’d never come to the surface. This was her identity.

She shook her head and tried to bury the feelings as they enraptured her mind. There was no way she could be into women- she had two daughters with two different men, after all. She had to like men, right?

Toph lifted her head back and sighed testily. Her sexuality was something unknown to her, especially after growing up in the Earth Kingdom. Even though the Earth Kingdom wasn’t particularly harsh, there was still a rigidity present in the citizens. A rigidity that threatened Toph’s comfort as a mother and highly admired woman. This wasn’t something she wanted to confront, even if she knew she would have to.

Toph tore her head to glance in the direction of her daughters toy room, comforting herself by listening to their steady heartbeats. She grasped the rag in her hands and tucked it to the side. This would have to wait.

~~~~~

Yaling grit her lips as she clasped her blanket in her hands. She ran a tired hand through her hair, wincing as she ran into some tangles. Huffing, she ran her hands through her hair until it felt like silk, before letting the gray and brown strands fall in her face.

The prior night had seeped into her mind as soon as she had awoken in the warm bed. The feeling of Toph’s lips on hers, and the warmth it had brought. The fear it had brought.

Yaling had known since she was young that she liked women. She could remember her first love clearly, as the face of that Ba Sing Se girl swirled back into her mind. The girl’s dark olive skin, her dark green eyes that twinkled with each of her honeyed laughs, her long raven black hair that fell past her breasts. She had only known the girl three weeks before the war finally crashed through their walls and tore the girl from her grasp. She could remember the last time they had seen each other- the fear and sadness etched into the girl’s face as Yaling watched a soldier tear the girl’s sister from her arms. How her eyes had widened further as Yaling and her family had escaped, how Yaling’s arms had stretched out in a feeble attempt to take the girl with her as they left the city. How her face had plagued Yaling’s mind for the next five months.

That was the first time Yaling had known the warmth of love. She had never told anyone- her mother, nor her younger sister Ru. It wasn’t something she was willing to really release to the world just yet.

She remembered that one guard that had always been kind to her for the first few years she had sat in her cell. How the woman’s gray eyes shined when she smiled, how her dark brown hair always threatened to fall in her face as she leaned down to give Yaling her food. How her silvery voice always seemed to comfort Yaling. How her heart had seemingly shattered when the guard had announced she was to be married to a local man. She remembered how she’d cut out her own heart after that, locking it away and refusing to let herself fall for any other woman.

And here she was, in love yet again with the very last person she’d ever expected. She knew that falling for Toph was probably a bad idea- the metalbender had been the one to arrest her and her mother all those years ago, after all- but she couldn’t stop herself. The heart wants what the heart wants, she figured. It was a bitter lesson she’d known since that day in Ba Sing Se.

As she threatened to beat herself up over this, a sweeter thought seeped into her mind. Toph had leaned in as much as she had. Toph hadn’t been the one to run away- rather, Toph had stared after Yaling as she had done so.

And Toph had a family, a family that she had happily shared with Yaling. Toph’s youngest daughter would cry for Yaling, wailing until Yaling took her into her arms. Suyin was almost as enamored with Yaling as she was with her own mother, watching the older woman with wonder each time she found herself in Yaling’s embrace. Toph’s eldest daughter Lin had laughed at Yaling’s jokes, had sat with her and listened to her for hours. Toph’s daughters had accepted Yaling, allowing her to drink in the facade of a true family. For the first time in her life, Yaling had the potential opportunity to have a true family. To sit for dinner every night, to care for a child or two, to have someone to fall asleep with. It was almost too good to be true.

Yaling couldn’t bear her thoughts much longer. She had ran out that morning, tucking the supplies she needed as she gripped her plate of food in her hands. She had eaten as she walked, ultimately tucking the plate beneath her robes as she had reached the homeless encampment and began distributing supplies. She handed out food, water, clothes and money to the people there, smiling at the young children and the mothers holding them. She pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing herself on helping the encampment instead.

It was going to be a long day.

~~~~~

That day had ended rather tensely. Yaling had ran straight to her room when she had returned from the encampment, and Toph hadn’t bothered to interrupt her. Instead, she’d simply left dinner outside Yaling’s door as she went to tuck her daughters into bed.

Toph knew that this newfound tension wouldn’t dissipate easily, and she grit her lips as she tucked into bed that night. She fell asleep to the gentle sound of rain outside and the swirling of her thoughts in her head.

The next day, however, brought with it a surprise.

Yaling had ran off early that morning to the encampment, taking with her a plate of food and some supplies. Toph had just taken to tending to Suyin as her eldest Lin busied herself with reading. Barely an hour after Yaling had left, however, Toph felt the unforgettable sense of footsteps leading up to the door, and her daughter Lin jumped from her seat and ran to the door.

Toph was utterly surprised when she opened the door and found herself engulfed in Ty Lee’s arms.

“Toph! My goodness, it’s so wonderful to see you!” Ty Lee cried, pulling back as she shifted a huge smile onto her face. “And Lin, sweetheart! Hi!”

Lin yelped and lifted her arms up as Ty Lee smiled even wider. Ty Lee laughed and picked the almost seven year old up with surprising ease, resting Lin on her hip as she gently blew on the girl’s hair, causing Lin to erupt into giggles. Toph stood still as the airbender turned to face her again.

“Sorry for bursting in on you like this unannounced. Mai and I were in town with the kids and figured we’d drop by.” Ty Lee’s face morphed into more of an apologetic smile as she shifted to reveal her family behind her.

There on the pathway stood Mai and their three children. Mai had grown since they had first met- the once quiet and apathetic nonbender had grown into a tall, intimidating but more expressive woman and even more wonderful mother. She was close to both Zuko and Sokka in height, and was finding success with running a small nonbender self-defense and fighting academy.

Then there was their first and oldest child, a sixteen year-old nonbender named Yeona. Yeona was a small girl, standing only two or so inches taller than Toph. She was a beautiful child, with long dark hair and piercing gray eyes that always seemed to hold a warmth to them.

And then there were the twins, Ae-Cha and Aito. The twins were eleven, and to the entire Gaang’s delight, had presented as airbenders when they were young. The twins looked nearly identical to Ty Lee, sharing her warm brown hair and large, kind gray-brown eyes. Not to mention they were nearly identical to her in personality as well, being energetic and carefree children who loved gymnastics and airbending.

Toph could remember the initial surprise they had all had when Ty Lee had revealed herself as an airbender near the end of the war. It had turned out that Ty Lee had been a descendant of the air nomads, and had ended up being an airbender due to having naturally strong spiritual energy. Toph could still remember how excited and overjoyed Aang had been, how eager he had been to teach Ty Lee and how eager Ty Lee had been to learn about her descendant’s culture. Ty Lee had ended up being quite a natural at airbending, and ended up getting her tattoos eight years later, at the age of 22. She had remained in the fire nation, however, and ended up heading the multi-cultural division Zuko, Suki and Sokka had founded to help educate the fire nation of the other nations and their customs. Ty Lee had ended up being a teacher for a little while, before she ultimately opened a small academy with two other Kyoshi Warriors to help spread the fighting group. She had even indoctrinated her and Mai’s oldest daughter into the Kyoshi Warriors when Yeona was just nine years old.

And now Ty Lee and Mai and their children were standing at Toph’s doorstep, and Toph couldn’t help but step aside and let them in.

“It’s alright,” Toph started, the smallest of smiles gracing her lips as she let the family in, “Besides, Lin loves it when you guys visit.”

Ty Lee only smiled as she stared at the young girl on her hips. With a laugh, Ty Lee put Lin down and glanced at the apartment, immediately noticing a change. Toph didn’t even have a chance to scowl at the realization that Ty Lee was more observant that she was given credit for.

“Is there someone else here?” Ty Lee questioned, staring at some of the loose items scattered around the apartment. Toph turned to her, unsure of what to say. Toph hadn’t even realized yet that she had unknowingly been keeping Yaling’s presence in her home a secret from the outside world. She considered that Yaling’s newfound appearance in her life was just something Toph had wanted to keep to herself until she figured everything out. She hadn’t even realized she’d been doing so.

Before Toph could answer, however, Lin piped up. “A woman’s been staying with us.”

Mai cocked an eyebrow and Ty Lee shifted, her stance immediately changing as the words rang in her ears. Toph only internally groaned. Great.

“A woman?” Inquired Ty Lee, glancing down at Lin. A dozen different emotions flickered in the woman’s eyes, something shifting in her brain. Toph couldn’t see her, but she knew the older woman’s interest had been piqued. Toph shifted and swooped Suyin into her arms, giving a simple nod in reply.

“An old acquaintance of mine, Yaling.” Toph informed her plainly, feeling the three children also shift in their places. “She was homeless and didn’t have a place to stay, so I offered her a bed and a roof for a while. She’s been staying in the guest room.”

Ty Lee hummed, pondering the name. Toph briefly remembered that Ty Lee had never heard of or met the earthbender, something Toph was slightly grateful for. It meant that at least Ty Lee wouldn’t be immediately judgemental of Toph’s decision as she knew the others likely would have been.

“Well, I’d love to meet her if she’s here now.” Ty Lee said eventually, clapping her hands together as she smiled. The airbender’s immediate enthusiasm and lack of judgement was something Toph was internally grateful for, even as she hid it from her face.

Toph just shook her head. “She’s out right now, unfortunately. We had made a deal that she could use supplies here to help out the homeless encampment she used to live in, so she’s out helping them.”

Ty Lee’s face lit up almost instantly. “That’s wonderful! She’s kind then?”

Toph shrugged, thinking over the earthbender’s actions. It would be false to call her unkind, but she wasn’t the most amazing person either. Still, Toph had found that the older woman had developed quite the sense of compassion since her imprisonment. She contemplated her answer for a moment.

“I guess so.”

Mai glanced at the metalbender, immediately catching Toph’s tone. “What do you mean by that?”

Toph turned her head towards Mai and shrugged again. “Yaling was… how do I say this- she wasn’t the best person when we met years ago. She was pretty prejudiced against nonbenders. Her mom had practically brainwashed her, unfortunately. She’s turning it around now, though.”

Mai only cocked a brow, before a small smirk graced her lips. “Well, if she still dislikes nonbenders, I’d be happy to take her in a fight and show her what we’re capable of.”

“Mai!” Ty Lee cried, stifling a squeal of surprise at her wife. Mai just shrugged, turning to face Ty Lee.

“What? If someone wants to go around saying nonbenders are weak, I’d be happy to take them in a fight and watch how quickly they take it back.” Mai shot a glance towards Toph, shrugging her shoulders as she did so. There was a reason the nonbender was the head of a fighting academy, after all. Toph knew that.

“Yeah well, she had a fight against Suki back when we met. Suki chi-blocked her and knocked her out pretty good.” Toph tilted her head. “I think she’s gotten some sense knocked into her since then, though. She seems pretty relaxed towards nonbenders nowadays.”

Mai only cocked her head in response, thinking on the words. “Well, that’s good then.”

Toph shifted as she smoothed her face into something unreadable and simply nodded in reply. Before the sudden silence could get to her, she turned and allowed a placating smile to find its way to her lips. “Shall I fix lunch?”

~~~~~

Lunch had passed easily that day, without anything happening. Ty Lee, Mai and their children had regaled the Beifongs with stories of what had been happening in their lives lately.

Yeona had just recently been appointed the head of the Fire Nation’s group of Kyoshi Warriors by Fire Lord Zuko himself- an incredibly high honor. Toph internally swore at the fact that she hadn’t been able to attend. Yeona was inordinately pleased with herself, a bright smile on her face, sitting pleasantly below a soft blush. She had also apparently met someone, a fact that her mothers had no issue with revealing as the girl’s face turned a deeper shade of red.

Ae-Cha and Aito, meanwhile, were getting along amazingly. The twins were always either training with their mother Ty Lee and Aang on their bending, or learning self-defense and fighting skills from Mai. Aang had apparently objected at first to the idea of the twins learning fighting skills, objecting that airbenders were pacifists and never struck an unarmed opponent, but Mai had brought up the fact that it was never a bad idea to know how to defend yourself. And despite their newfound air nomad heritage, they still had two parents who were raised in the Fire Nation, and both parents insisted their children learn to fight in case the need ever arised. Aang had ultimately nodded in understanding and had even offered to teach them a few self-defense measures that were unique to Air Nomads, which the women had graciously accepted.

The twins were, to everyone’s surprise and delight, both extraordinarily talented benders. Despite only being eleven years old, both of them were well on their way to mastering the element, having gotten thirty of the thirty-six airbending abilities locked down with surprising ease. Aang had mused that the twins would likely master all of them by the ages of thirteen at the very least, which had greatly pleased both Mai and Ty Lee. It wasn’t, or shouldn’t have been a surprise, however, given how powerful of a bender Ty Lee was. Despite having lived under the guise of a nonbender for the first fourteen years of her life, hiding her bending without a proper teacher, she had quickly grasped the skill and excelled at airbending once Aang began teaching her. Aang had mused that had Ty Lee been born to the Air Temples, she would’ve been a master by the time they had met- something that had made the airbender bristle with pride.

The twins also seemed quite joyful that day, talking eagerly to Lin as the adults engaged in their own conversation.

The two women had then pressed Toph on the subject of her roommate, and the metalbender eventually gave way, telling them of the time Yaling had spent with them so far, carefully leaving out the events of two nights prior. Toph had then cleared the plates away with Ty Lee’s help, and watched belatedly as Lin took to playing outside with the three other children.

“Lin’s birthday is soon, right?” Ty Lee questioned as she stood near a window on the second floor. Toph had been busying herself around the house, but took the moment to pause.

“Yes. She’ll be seven.”

“And then Suyin’s birthday is right after?” Ty Lee ventured.

Toph shook her head. “Her birthday is in three months, so it’s still a little ways away.”

“Hm.” Ty Lee murmured, staring at the metalbender. “Did something happen between you and that Yaling woman? You seem off.”

Toph froze. Once again, she admired how quick and sharp Ty Lee was- she was way more observant than anyone ever gave her credit for, something she hid behind her airy and cheerful disposition. Ty Lee had sensed something had happened, and Toph internally cursed at her observational skills.

Then Toph thought to herself, taking the older woman’s words in as her mind drifted over them. Ty Lee could probably help her, Toph realized. The older woman had always had a proclivity for women and romance, after all- there was a reason she and Mai had been together so long. Not to mention she remembered Ty Lee had seemed to struggle with her own identity when she was young, something that had taken her months to come to accept. If anyone would be able to help Toph confront that part of her and come to accept it, it would be Ty Lee.

And yet, Toph still hesitated. Her sexuality wasn’t something she wanted to really divulge to anyone, even though she knew she’d have to at some point. She knew she and Yaling couldn’t stay like this forever, dancing around each other awkwardly. There was no way they’d be able to properly live like that. But at the same time, Toph wasn’t sure if she was ready to drag herself out just yet.

Toph was eventually snapped out of her thoughts by the soft clicking of Ty Lee’s tongue and the laughter outside, and she drew herself up to her full height. Still, she wavered as she reached her decision- the first time she had ever done so in her life.

“Yes. Something did happen.”

Ty Lee tilted her head. “What happened, if you mind me asking?”

Toph bit her lip in hesitation, but her decision had already been made. “I… we kissed.” She eventually murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ty Lee stared at her for a moment, something like shock or surprise flickering just behind her irises. The airbender pursed her lips, taking a moment to absorb the words and confront her own thoughts.

“And you like her?” Ty Lee questioned, gazing at the metalbender in front of her.

Toph nodded. “I believe so. I’ve never really felt this before, so I’m not really sure if it’s love or not.”

Ty Lee pondered for a moment. “Okay, then answer me this. Do you think about her a lot?” Toph nodded. “Do you find yourself smiling, relieved or happy just by her presence?” Another nod. “Do you find yourself picturing being with her, or keeping her around?” Toph nodded again, and Ty Lee stopped to think yet again. A silence briefly fell as Toph stood awkwardly, waiting for Ty Lee to speak again.

“I’m guessing things between you two are complicated now?” Ty Lee finally asked, reaching a conclusion that Toph wanted to applaud her on. Toph only nodded, too hesitant or perhaps embarrassed to say anything more. “Hm. I’m guessing she’s out right now to avoid you?” Toph winced as Ty Lee hit the nail on the head, but nodded. “Well, what are you going to do about that?”

Toph shrugged, tilting her head to the side. “I… don’t know.”

Ty Lee exhaled and licked her lips. “You know you can’t just bury this down like everything else, Toph. If Yaling is going to be living with you, you guys will have to actually communicate with each other.”

“I know that!” Toph cried almost exhaustedly, turning her head low, “I just… I’ve never had to think about this before. I don’t know what to do.”

“I get that Toph, I do.” Ty Lee shifted to place a hand on Toph’s shoulder, a kindred smile gracing her lips. “When I was a kid, the first person I fell for was a girl. Surprisingly it was Azula- before she went off the rails, anyways- and I still remember how that felt. How taken aback I was, because I had only ever seen women fall for men, not for women. We didn’t learn about Kyoshi, you see, and Sozin had criminalized same sex relationships. I didn’t have any confidence in myself. So, I pretended to like boys. Convinced myself I liked boys. I did this for years, until the war finally ended. I went to Kyoshi Island for a bit to train, and ultimately fell for Mai.”

Toph stared up at the airbender as she spoke, the hesitance in her stature slowly ebbing away with each word that fell from her lips.

“I was scared, you see. Scared because I could no longer deny that I was attracted to women. Then I went to learn about airbending and the Air Nomads from Aang, and one day he had mentioned how the Air Nomads lived freely and loved who they wanted. Your gender or identity didn’t matter to them. He was the first person I told.” She admitted in a soft voice, as though she was divulging a long-held secret. “He helped me realize that I could love women, despite being a woman myself. And then, of course, Zuko and Sokka and Suki started dating, and Zuko decriminalized same sex relationships. I gathered my courage and asked Mai out a few weeks later- and you see how that worked out. It still took me a little while to accept that I had never actually liked men, I had just told myself I did so as to not ostracize myself. But I never did like men, and that’s okay.”

Toph lowered her head again. “I’m just not sure if I want to confront this. My whole life would change, ya know? I’m not sure if I want to confront this just yet.”

Ty Lee smiled empathetically. “Change doesn’t always have to be bad, you know. You said ‘we kissed’, right?” Toph nodded, unsure of what Ty Lee was getting at. “Okay. If Yaling kissed you back, that means she probably does feel the same as you. The change you’re scared of could be you and Yaling getting together.” The airbender paused for a brief moment, pursing her lips in thought before she reached a conclusion. “Look, I’m not gonna force you to confess or anything. All I’m saying is that you’ll probably feel better confronting this part of yourself than you will hiding it away. It’s better to live freely than locked in a cage.”

Toph halted on the last sentence, her mind drifting over the words, before she finally lifted her head. “You really sound like an Air Nomad, you know that?”

Ty Lee laughed in response. “Well, I have been trying.”

Toph hid a smile as the airbender walked off to join the children downstairs. After a brief moment, Toph walked after her, content to leave her worries there in the hallway.


	8. Destined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Yaling talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late upload, but here's chapter eight!!! also, it looks like there'll likely just be a chapter nine and then an epilogue after this. we're almost at the end!! i've had so much fun writing this that i'm sad to see it coming to an end. but i may end up turning it into a series of drabbles, so y'all can look forward to that <3

_I find my place  
In between your arms,   
In between your tender kisses  
And soft whispers of "It will be alright",  
In between the warmth of your embrace,  
and the scent of your neckm  
and the fierceness of your touch,  
I find my place lost inside your soul._

~~~~

Ty Lee and Mai hadn’t stayed too long after that. The two women and their children left about an hour later, but not before happily citing that the Gaang was planning to meet up all together that weekend. Lin had been sad to see them go, waving rapidly at the family as they left and padded down the walkway until they were out of sight. Even Suyin had started crying, and it took Toph nearly fifteen minutes to calm the baby down. 

After talking with Ty Lee, Toph had come to the decision to confront Yaling that night. She didn’t know what to expect out of it- whether Yaling truly would feel the same, if they’d start dating, any of it. Toph only wanted to finally acknowledge what had happened between them- whatever happened next would happen, and Toph would have to accept it. She knew that. 

Still, Toph couldn’t deny that she was nervous at the idea. Emotions and feelings had never been one of her strong suits, never been something she’d thought too much about or voiced out loud. Sometimes she would even sit and wonder if it made her a horrible mother, the fact that she wasn’t good at expressing her emotions and therefore wasn’t the most communicative with her daughters. She had never had to face her emotions in such a way before. It was the one thing that genuinely unnerved her. 

Toph briefly wondered what time it was then. She knew she should probably ask her daughter to look at the sky, but she didn’t want to show any signs that she was yearning for Yaling’s return. The earthbender always returned by dusk, every night without fail. Toph then realized foolishly that only an hour had passed since lunch, and it was likely only three or four in the afternoon, and that Yaling probably wouldn’t be back for at least three hours. For some odd reason, that fact disturbed her. She was impatient, wanting badly for the older woman to walk through the doors right then. Toph knew it was a foolish thing, but what else was her heart to do when it was so obviously madly in love?

Her sexuality was another thing entirely. After Toph’s discussion with Ty Lee, once left alone, the metalbender sat in her room and pondered as she toyed with a small meteorite. Ty Lee’s explanation had made a lot of sense to her, and Toph wracked through all the times she thought she had been in love. 

First had been Sokka, all the way back when Toph was 12. Despite his rough edges, sarcasm and wit, the nonbender had come to grow on Toph. And then he had started dating Suki, and then Zuko as well, and Toph had buried what she thought were her feelings deep inside of her. 

The next person had been Lin’s father, a kindly nonbender named Kanto. Kanto had been a kindly, forthcoming and honest man hailing from the Earth Kingdom. Toph had met him through her father’s company, and had been surprised to find the nonbender was a simple man who wasn’t at all intimidated by her reputation. They had talked and gotten along well enough, and Toph had eventually found herself in the man’s arms. Then one day he left without a word, and the sudden loss of him was soon pushed out of her mind when she heard a heartbeat in her abdomen. 

The third person had been Suyin’s father. Toph couldn’t remember much about him, though. He had been tall and strong, somehow sweet-talking Toph rather easily. He had left not too long after they met, likely scared off by her family name, and those worries had also been eventually pushed to the side by the sound of a heartbeat. 

It took Yaling’s reemergence in her life, however, for Toph to realize that she had never truly fostered feelings for any of those three men. She may have told herself she did, convinced herself she did, but that was only because she had thought it was the only option. No one had ever told her she could love women. Even after seeing her friend’s relationships, even after her friends confided about their sexualities, Toph had never sought to question hers. It was a promise, a steady thing she didn’t want to question. How fitting that Yaling had been the one to tear that away from her. Toph supposed it was only right- Toph had torn a vital piece of Yaling’s life and identity away from her years ago, and now the older woman was only returning the favor. Toph couldn’t find it in herself to be at all mad. Then again, she figured it would be hard to find herself ever truly mad at Yaling- even the thought of Yaling’s betrayal, a memory that had always stung Toph in all the wrong ways, now flickered with more of a bittersweet emotion in her mind. Any anger or true bitterness she had ever held towards that day had long since ebbed away, chipped away piece by piece for every minute Toph spent with Yaling. 

Toph had once again found that everything she seemed to know about herself, everything she had ever held as true, was torn apart by Yaling with barely any effort on the earthbender’s part. Yaling truly was Toph’s soulmate, in every sense of the word- and likely was her twin flame as well. Yaling tore down every wall Toph had ever built, smashed every ideal Toph knew, and shattered every expectation Toph had for herself. Yaling challenged everything in Toph’s life, everything she held dear- and yet the idea of her leaving scared Toph more than the idea of her staying. 

Toph stood from her position on her bed, discarding the meteorite she had been bending on a shelf nearby. If she was going to confront Yaling, she should at least present some food as an offering. And so, she set off to cook, making her way to the kitchen with determination. 

~~~~~

To no surprise, Yaling returned to the house right as the sun began to set. Toph had set herself in the main room, setting plates on the table as she sensed the footsteps of the older woman approaching. Toph stood up straight, determination radiating from every fiber of her being as the footsteps grew closer and closer. 

And then the door was open, and Yaling halted at the sight of Toph in front of her. Before she could do anything, Toph took a cautious and kind step forward, smoothing her face into the most peaceful one possible.

“Can we talk?”

Yaling hesitated. She stared at the metalbender with wary eyes, caution evident in her limbs. Toph couldn’t blame her.

“I’m not kicking you out, if you’re worried about that. I just want to talk. Figure we’ll have to at some point with both of us staying here.” Toph conceded, raising her hands slightly in a gesture of peace. “I made food. Lin already ate, so you and I can talk over some food if you’d like.”

Yaling hummed, analyzing Toph. Then a small growl escaped her stomach, and she nodded. “Alright.”

Toph shifted and sat herself down in a chair at one end of the table, before Yaling sat herself down at the other end. 

That night’s dinner was a mighty one, as Toph had ultimately found herself stress-cooking in an attempt to assuage her worries. First and foremost was a roast duck, with sides of seaweed wraps, crab puffs and an egg custard tart. She had even laid out and prepared some moon peaches and steamed buns. 

Yaling cocked a brow at the miniature feast in front of her. “You cooked all this?”

“Yeah. I stress-cook sometimes.” Toph supplied. 

Yaling hummed, reaching out to grab a steamed bun. “Must’ve been stressed.”

“Haven’t you?”

Yaling paused at that, lifting her face to glance at Toph across the table. She was silent for a moment, considering the words.

“I guess so.” 

A silence laid in the air for a few moments as Toph took a bite of roast duck and Yaling finished off a steamed bun. As the older woman made a move on the roast duck, however, Toph took the opportunity to speak up.

“I’m sorry.” Toph murmured, earning a stare from the fellow earthbender across from her. “For all those things I did all those years ago. I really am.”

Yaling sighed and put her food down. “You can stop trying to clear your guilty conscience, Toph. The past is the past. I wasn’t the best back then either.” Yaling shifted, turning her head to glance somberly around the room, her eyes catching on every picture frame. “I think me helping out the encampment has been my way of trying to make up for what I did. Originally I had told myself it was to give myself to something to do, to not stew in here with nothing to do. But I’ve realized it’s my own way of assuaging my own guilt.” 

“I think it’s wonderful.” Toph replied through a bite of roast duck. “You’re helping people. That’s a good thing.”

Yaling nodded and exhaled. “Yeah well, being in jail taught me that I have a lifetime of bad to make up for, so it’s honestly the least I can do.”

Toph found a wave of anger rushing through her at that. “Don’t say that. It’s not your fault you were an impressionable teen with a horrible mother.” 

Yaling just shrugged, absorbing the words as she chewed on a piece of roast duck. “Yeah, but that still doesn’t erase what I did.” Yaling gulped down the food in her mouth and stared at Toph. “You can say I was just an impressionable teen, but I still did what I did. The least I can do is try to make it up and do better, but I still did what I did.” 

Toph’s lips pursed. “Well, you can still at least make up for it by being good today.”

Yaling nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do.” 

An awkward silence once again fell between the two women as they quietly ate, neither of them knowing what to say. There was still so much unspoken between them, so much to try and resolve. Both of them knew that. And yet both women were heavy with an illusion- Toph with an illusion of perhaps finally meeting someone who she could spend her life with, and Yaling with an illusion of a family she believed she didn’t deserve. Both of them wanted desperately for them to be illusions no longer, but neither woman was quite ready to take the steps towards making it that way.

“What did you want to talk about?” Yaling asked quietly, testing the waters as she finished her roast duck and moved to a crab puff. Toph started, staring in the direction of the earthbender across from her. She hadn’t been expecting this much outright frankness.

“What do you think I want to talk about?” Toph questioned back, testing the waters with equal parts trepidation and confidence. The question of how much was Yaling willing to confront rang heavy in her mind, and she wanted to find the answer to it.

Yaling paused, silent as she took a significant bite of the crab puff. Her mind ran a mile a minute, testing each and every possible answer, before eventually settling on one. “That night, I presume.” 

Toph straightened at the reply, half not expecting it. She hadn’t been sure if Yaling would be like her- defensive and mostly unwilling to confront the situation- or more passive and confrontational. Toph was surprisingly pleased to see it was the latter.

“Do you mind talking about it?” Toph questioned.

Yaling took a bite of her crab puff and stayed silent for a moment. As she gulped the food down and finished the crab puff off, her eyes lifted to meet Toph’s face. “I kinda figured we’d have to at some point.” She shrugged, only slightly lowering her head. “What’s in the books for us after this?”

Toph bit her lip, before straightening yet again and putting her utensils down. “Well, nothing’s set in stone if we don’t want it to be.” She began, hoping to ease the older woman’s worry of a possible eviction. “I guess, maybe we both moved a bit too quickly.”

Yaling nodded.

“That’s why I wanted to talk today, though. Wanted to talk through what happened so we can get the awkwardness out of the way.”

“Do you regret it?” Yaling asked suddenly, completely catching Toph off guard. It took a few moments for the metalbender to realize that perhaps she and Yaling were different in more than just one or two ways. While she had been fretting over her identity, she hadn’t pondered the thought that maybe Yaling wasn’t, that perhaps Yaling was comfortable in whatever identity she held and had only been put off by Toph being on the reciprocating end of her affections.

She was then caught even more off guard by the tone of Yaling’s voice. She had obviously done her best to craft her tone in a way that hid any emotion, but Toph could still detect the slightest hints of anxiety in her words. Toph was surprised at that, suddenly realizing that Yaling shared equal, if not greater concern for how their relationship would develop from then on. 

“I can’t say I do.” Toph eventually replied, opting for the truth. She downed a spoonful of the egg custard tart, wiping at her mouth before she spoke again. “I may have many regrets, but that isn’t one of them.” 

Yaling’s eyes twinkled with emotion at that, and the older woman was internally grateful for the fact that Toph couldn’t tell. Yaling contemplated her next words, as Toph sat quietly.

“I’ve always liked women.” Yaling eventually spoke, slightly hesitant. “I’ve known since I was young- I think I realized around age thirteen or fourteen. There had been a girl in Ba Sing Se, but the war tore us apart and I never saw her again.” Yaling took a moment to drink from her glass, not noticing (or caring) how intently Toph was listening to her. “And when we first met, I saw a lot of myself in you. We were so alike, ya know? I don’t think I’d ever really felt like that before. And I guess those feelings never left, cuz they flared up pretty quickly after we reunited.”

“Have you felt like this since that day we reunited, then?” Toph questioned.

Yaling just shrugged. “I don’t think so. I think it was more after you took me in. I spent to much time with you, with your daughters- I guess my heart just latched onto it, since this is the first time since I was a teenager that I’ve been in a family setting.” 

Toph, listening as intently as she was, noticed the somber, bittersweet undercurrent that had been present in the last sentence Yaling had spoken. Toph then realized the weight to Yaling’s words- Yaling had never had a true family, not one like Toph now had. Yaling’s mother had been a harridan who turned her daughters against each other, and that facade of a perfect family had been shattered once Yaling and her mother went to jail. And now here Toph stood in a faint mirror of Yaling’s family- a single mother and her two daughters, smiling and laughing and happy- but real, unlike Yaling’s family. And unlike Yaling’s family, Toph wasn’t a harsh woman who turned her daughters against each other- rather, Toph was a much more lenient but hardworking mother who did her best to care for her two daughters and their needs. And staying here had given Yaling a direct seat to a seemingly perfect family. Something Yaling had never gotten. 

Yaling glanced at Toph, unaware of how deeply the metalbender was immersed in her own thoughts. “What about you?”

Toph started, before settling in her seat. “I’m not really sure. I can’t deny that I felt something when we first met, just like you. I’d never seen myself in someone before. And don’t get me wrong, I love my friends, but you were the first person I could ever truly connect to. After you went away, I think I hid those feelings; I buried them, telling myself they weren’t anything much. I guess they also bubbled back up while you’ve been staying with us.” 

Yaling drew her lips in a taut line, contemplating for a few moments as Toph waited tensely for an answer. “Well. If you say you like me, and I like you, I guess we feel the same then?”

“I guess so. What does this mean for us?”

Yaling rested her head in her hand. “I’m not sure. I don’t think I want a relationship just yet, though. I want to give my heart some time to adjust to everything.”

“I don’t blame you.” Toph murmured. “I think I’ll need some time adjusting as well. My whole life, I never really thought about my sexuality. I guess you changed that, and I wouldn’t mind having some time to adjust to that.”

Yaling then suddenly stood, walking over to Toph with a sudden burst of confidence present in her step. “I do want to test something out first, though.”

Toph rose to her feet with confusion, about to question the older woman, until she felt the familiar feeling of Yaling’s warm lips on hers. Everything else around the two of them immediately seemed to disperse, nothing else mattering in that moment but the warmth of Yaling’s lips finally on Toph’s again. Toph closed her eyes almost instantly, leaning into the comforting feeling. 

Yaling took the opportunity and snaked one arm around Toph’s waist, pulling her in closer as the other hand found its way around Toph’s neck, resting gently across her shoulder. Toph brought both her hands to cup Yaling’s cheeks, pulling the older woman as closer to her as she could. The kiss was delicate and warm, lambent with soft passion and care. 

It didn’t last as long as Toph had wanted, but she pulled slightly away with the comfort of knowing Yaling wasn’t going anywhere this time.

They stayed in an embrace as they pulled away, and Yaling rested her forehead on Toph’s, staring into the metalbender’s clouded eyes. Toph wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, soft and content as their breaths mingled together. 

After a few silent moments, Yaling finally pulled away, and cocked her head in the direction of the hallway. “We should probably sleep.”

Toph only smiled. “Yeah, we probably should.”


	9. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph considers her situation as the bi-monthly Team Avatar get-together grows near.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so so sorry for the absence!!! school's been kicking my ass and i also got stuck in a writer's block. this chapter is shorter than normal, but there will be another chapter before the epilogue so don't you worry!!! anyways, enjoy <333

_We were destned to meet,  
no matter the distance between us  
we return to each other  
again and again.  
It's that once in a lifetime connection,  
the ones that  
make you feel more alive  
just sitting next to them,  
even the silence is perfect  
because you feel whole  
in their presence.  
I don't know what it is  
about her, only that,  
when I look into her eyes  
I see a reflection of my soul  
staring back at me. _

~~~~~

Toph internally cursed when she woke up the next day and realized that the Team Avatar monthly get together was only two days away.

She had woken up to a peaceful apartment, silent spare for the slightly detectable sound of laughter. Toph had picked the sleeping Suyin up and carefully tucked her into a sling, cautious not to wake her. Once the baby was tucked safely on her chest, Toph walked out of her room and made her way to the main room, where she found Yaling and Lin sitting on the rug together, laughing and telling each other stories. Yaling had abruptly stared up at Toph, but both women were pleased to find that there was no longer any tension lingering between them. The prior night’s kiss seemed to have resolved the last of their tension, instead swapping it out with a familial contentment that both of them were happy to indulge in, regardless of their shared illusions. 

Toph hadn’t been quite sure as to why she didn’t yet want to date Yaling, only sure of the fact that she was relieved that Yaling seemed to feel the same way. Their acknowledgement of their mutual feelings had been enough for the both of them at that time- Toph knew that they’d eventually start dating, but she didn’t care as to when.

Toph had never truly been one for relationships or the titles. To her, she had always been of the opinion that a relationship title didn’t truly matter- as long as you were in love, that was all that was important. Titles were an added bonus, an added measure that Toph could live without if needed. 

Still, she found herself yearning for a relationship with the older woman, and settled herself with the fact that she and Yaling would date eventually, once they had both adjusted to this new life together. Toph was sure that wasn’t far away. 

Toph took to fixing some breakfast that morning, until she was suddenly stopped by Yaling. Before Toph could question it, Yaling smiled pleasantly and offered to cook some breakfast instead, allowing Toph a moment with her daughters. Toph hesitated at first, but ultimately relented, listing off the recipe and steps before venturing towards her eldest daughter on the rug. Lin smiled at the sight of her mother, holding her arms out as Toph only grinned. Toph sat down and grabbed a small chunk of metal, which she bended into multiple shapes as Lin watched gleefully. Toph drank in the moment of familial tranquility, almost instantly adjusting to the idea of having a life with Yaling- something that partially startled her. Nonetheless, she sat there and continued to entertain her eldest daughter Lin, until Suyin eventually stirred in her sling and began to cry.

Toph took the moment to excuse herself and went to her room, where she unsheathed her shirt and let Suyin get her fill. After the baby settled and was burped, Toph returned to her daughter Lin now sitting at the table, patiently awaiting breakfast. Yaling was still cooking, standing near a slowly simmering pot of jook as she stirred it absentmindedly, her eyes lost somewhere. Toph was content to sit by her daughter and wait, basking in the moment of peace. It was an uncommon one, and something she eagerly welcomed. 

A half hour passed before Yaling finished the jook and served it to them. Toph hid her smile- she’d grown so accustomed to cooking her own meals that she couldn’t remember the last time someone had cooked for her in her house. The jook was much better than Toph had been expecting- despite Yaling’s seeming lack of experience with cooking, she was rather good at making the dish. The three of them ate in relative silence, spare from the moments where Suyin would gurgle or babble up at Toph and the metalbender would have to press her hand to the baby’s face and comfort her. Once the dishes had been cleared away, Toph dressed for work and handed the babbling Suyin into Yaling’s arms. Yaling almost instantly wrapped her arms around the baby, staring at her with some hesitation before melting. Toph walked off and busied herself with getting ready, while Yaling sat on the rug with Suyin in her arms and Lin by her side. With each passing day, Yaling was adjusting more and more to the two girls, and Lin had taken to her so fondly that Toph doubted she’d ever want to be separated from the earthbender. It was a pleasant thing to know, considering Lin had inherited quite a bit from her, which meant the young girl was already quite stubborn when it came to attachment. She didn’t get attached easily, just like her mother. Toph internally hoped that Lin wouldn’t stay this way forever- Toph’s outward coldness towards most people that she encountered hadn’t done much good to her. After all, here she was at age thirty-nine, a single mother of two daughters, never having held a relationship in her life except for the brief times she had spent with her daughters fathers. The only people she was close to were the Gaang- Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai. She hadn’t ever really let anyone else to get too close to her- spare for Yaling, who had became closer to Toph in a few short weeks than anyone had ever been in Toph’s life. 

Toph settled the metal armor on her body, before tilting her head and standing still for a moment, listening intently to the sounds of life in the apartment. She then turned and walked down the hall, bidding a gentle goodbye to Yaling, Lin and Suyin. Suyin held a lazy hand up, babbling as Toph walked out of the door.

As she walked to her work, the impending notion of the get together weighed heavy on her mind. She wasn’t yet sure she wanted to bring Yaling with her- despite their confessions, they still stood in an awkward spot- and she knew bringing her there would bring an onslaught of unwanted questions. And yet part of her wanted to, knowing that it would be easier to first introduce Yaling as simply a friend and nothing more. It would be easier for everyone to adapt to, in the situation that they eventually began dating.

Toph settled upon an answer as she reached the door of the police department.

~~~~~

The day had passed slowly and tautly, to Toph’s irritation. There wasn’t much activity that day, and so she had been reduced to casework- something made difficult by her lack of sight. Her writer had been late too, and Toph could remember stirring in slight irritation as she waited for the man to arrive.

She shouldn’t have been surprised at her irritation. Her job was a stressful, time consuming one, something that she knew very well. Some days she’d sit in her stress, wondering why she’d ever accepted the police chief position instead of taking over her dad’s company. Then again, running a company didn’t sound that appealing to her either. 

At long last, the sun began to set and her shift was finally over. Toph stood and groaned, cracking every tense nerve in her body before she moved forward. 

The metalbender made her way through the empty streets, all the way back to her home. When she opened the door, her eldest daughter Lin was already waiting for her, smiling as she waved a hand. Toph walked over to her, letting her fingers graze over Lin’s hand before she finally turned away. 

Yaling was sitting on the couch, watching as Ahnjong played with Suyin. The maternal woman had been spending time with her own family, but she had insisted on coming back and helping with Toph’s children. Toph had accepted the help, and Yaling had also happily welcomed it, citing that she still wasn’t great with children. 

Toph was tired, and quickly took the opportunity to go shower and change- something she normally didn’t do, considering her earth kingdom heritage and fondness of the earth and dirt, but there were just some days that she’d rather not walk around with a coating of dirt along every inch of her skin. She stood under the hot water, enjoying the feeling of it coating her skin. Showers were quite possibly the only form of water she enjoyed, considering she was still attached to the ground and could ‘see’. Toph had never been fond of water on any other platform. 

After her shower, Toph changed into a pair of pajamas and walked out into the main room. Ahnjong didn’t stay long after that, only long enough to cook Toph food. The maternal woman was out of the door within a half hour, leaving Toph, Yaling and the two little girls with half-empty plates of noodle soup and tofu. Toph then took to putting her daughters to bed, tucking Lin into her bed and Suyin into her crib.

By then, the sky was painted black with twinkling stars. Yaling was on her way upstairs to the guest bedroom when Toph stopped her with a hand on the arm, lifting her head up.

“I wanted to tell you something.”

Yaling tilted her head, glancing at Toph with twinkling, curious eyes. 

“I’m meeting with my friends in two days, the ones you met all those years ago. I’m bringing Lin and Suyin, but I didn’t want to force you to come if you don’t want to.” 

Yaling’s lips pursed. “Who’s going to be there?”

Toph straightened. “First there’s gonna be Aang, Katara and their children.” Yaling gave her a look, as if she was shocked to learn the two had children. “They have three children- a nonbender son named Bumi, a young waterbender daughter named Kya and an airbender son named Tenzin.” 

Yaling stared. “One of their children is a non-bender?”

Toph nodded. “It was a slight surprise when we all first realized, but Katara was the only bender in her family. It makes sense one of her children would be a nonbender.”

Yaling paused. “Hm. That does make sense.”

Toph nodded. “Then there will be Sokka, his wife Suki, and their husband, Fire Lord Zuko, along with their three children. There’s Yasuko- she’s a firebender and the oldest. Then there’s the twins, Hakoda and Yue. Yue’s a waterbender, Hakoda is not. Then there’ll be my friends Mai and Ty Lee, and their children. You haven’t met them.”

“Hm. So who are they?”

“Mai and Ty Lee are two fire nation women. Mai’s a nonbender, and she runs a self-defense and fighting academy for nonbenders. She’s considered one of the top fighters in the world, and is surprisingly talented with daggers. Ty Lee said she was a nonbender, but turns out she’s an airbender.”

Yaling paused. “Wait. I thought that Aang was the only airbender left?”

Toph shrugged her arms as she tilted her head. “So did we. Apparently some Air Nomads escaped, and settled in the Fire Nation and hid. Aang says they probably lost their bending due to cutting spiritual ties. But Ty Lee was born with enough spiritual energy that she was born with airbending abilities. She’s also the one who invented chi-blocking, actually.” 

“She’s the one who invented it?”

Toph nodded. 

Yaling crossed her arms, and something simmered in her eyes. The memory of Suki chi-blocking her all those years ago bubbled to the surface, and Yaling wasn’t sure how to feel about the prospect of meeting the woman who invented the horrid skill. Still, a part of her wanted to know what this Ty Lee woman looked like, what she was like. 

Ultimately, Yaling found herself nodding in agreement. “Alright then. I assume I’ll have to meet them all again at some point, and I’d rather do it sooner than later.”

Toph could barely stop herself from beaming.

~~~~~

Toph woke up late the day of, tired and worn thin, to Suyin’s wails. The baby was approaching ten months old, and while she slept through most nights now without much issue, she still woke Toph up most mornings. 

Toph wrestled herself out of bed, yawning as she approached Suyin’s crib and lifted the baby into her arms. She heard the padding of footsteps in the hall and detected Yaling out there, but the earthbender stopped when Suyin’s wails ceased. Yaling seemed to go back to her room then, and Toph settled herself to feed Suyin. 

The get-togethers were not a formal event, by any means- even if Toph sometimes dressed Suyin and Lin up for them. Today she took a small hanbok that Ahnjong had once gifted her, a neat olive and pine colored one that Toph dressed Suyin up in, once the baby was done eating and being burped. As for Toph herself, she changed into a neater version of her regular outfit, one with gold trim on the edges and a sturdy belt. 

Lin was up and about by then, brushing her hair in her room. When she finally walked out to the main room, she was dressed in a very plain but beautiful outfit. A light green dress with gold-edged sleeves fell past her knees, tucked neatly over her chest and snug around her neck. A gold sash was tied around her waist, and on her bare legs hung a pair of cream colored pants. Just like her mother, she wore no shoes.

Toph took to fixing breakfast then. She was halfway through fixing the pot of food when Yaling emerged, startling Toph.

The older woman was, to say the least, beautiful. She wore a plain, pale green dress, tied around the waist with a gold sash. Over that she wore a dark green robe, lined with yellow, the sleeves falling past her wrists. It was a pretty outfit, far different from all that she had worn the past weeks.

“When do we leave?” Yaling spoke, her eyes falling on the pot of food. Toph shifted.

“Soon. Let’s eat first.” 

Yaling just nodded.

~~~~~

It was an hour later that the food was all but eaten and the plates washed & in the sink. The get-together was on Air Temple Island- and Toph typically got there via a boat, as much as she disliked the things. Her seasickness had somewhat ebbed away in adulthood, but it still lingered. 

Toph led her daughters and Yaling to the docks, where a boat stood waiting. Toph inhaled, and knowing there was no turning back, stepped onto the boat.


	10. Food for thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The get-together has finally arrived, and the two women must face the others and whatever comes with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the delay! anyways, we pretty much just have the epilogue left!! i may make this a series and write some more drabbles, but for now the story is almost officially over :'( i hope y'all have enjoyed reading it as much as i have writing it. enjoy tpphling + the gaang!

_forever trying  
to reconcile this hopelessly  
romantic heart, and this fiercely  
independent soul_

_i'm such a soft lover,  
and a wild wanderer_

_but i think you're where  
all of me finds home_

~~~~~ 

Toph inhaled the salty smell of the sea water and shivered. The boat was still making its way to the island, having only just left the port. She sat on a bench on the boat with Suyin in her lap, who was holding a pebble in her fingers and gurgling. She couldn’t make anything out due to the wood of the boat, so she sat still, her arms latched onto her daughter, trying valiantly to keep her cool and not become sick from the waves. 

Lin was standing near the edge of the boat, her hands latched onto the edge as she watched the waves pass by. Yaling stood near her, leaning against the edge as she watched the waves go by. Yaling occasionally found herself glancing at Toph, holding back emotion as she watched the metalbender become slowly more tense as the boat got closer and closer to the island.

It was an admittedly short boat ride, but it was clear to see that that didn’t mean Toph was any more comfortable. She held tightly onto Suyin, her hands holding the baby close to her. Yaling took the time to stare at the island. When she had first lived in the city, the island had been a desolate thing that no one really ventured to. It had been overrun with nature, trees and vines and shrubbery exploding every which way in a fantastic kaleidoscope of greenery. She remembered the times some of the kids would dare each other to go spend a night on it, but it was so far away that no one wanted to swim all the way there. And such, the island had been left to its natural, green state. 

Now, however, the island was breathtaking. It was a mountainous island, perched high above the waves below. There still sat dozens upon dozens of trees on it, the shore exploding in a smaller but still brilliant kaleidoscope of greenery. A temple sat upon it, the architecture greatly resembling the other Air Temples, just with a touch of modernity to it. Yaling could see a dock sprawling from the coast, along with multiple buildings lining the coast. They were cream and blue colored, with gold lining the edges- a wondrous combination of water tribe and air nomads, it seemed. A long, carved out staircase led from the shore to the temple above, and an encircled lake stood near the far right of the island. Yaling held her breath as she stared upon the sight. 

The coast was nearing now, growing in size as the boat grew closer to the island. Yaling tapped Lin on the shoulder, and the young girl nodded and ran over to her mom, gripping her mom’s hand as the boat neared a stop at the docks. Toph startled at that, but held her daughter’s hand tightly back and leaned towards her. 

Toph couldn’t hold back her large breath of relief as the boat finally stopped. She wavered in her spot as the boat finally stopped, nervous and unsure of the wooden footing below her. Yaling seemed to notice this, and her hands found their way to Toph’s arms, helping her up. Toph accepted the help and allowed Yaling to lead her and Suyin off of the boat. 

As Toph stepped onto the pavement with Suyin in her arms and began to collect herself, she felt the footsteps of some of the others making their way towards her. Yaling hopped off the boat then, Lin at her side. Yaling stared at the small group walking towards them, but they didn’t seem to notice her at first.

Toph recognized the footsteps coming near her, knew who the four people were before they got to her. And before she knew it, she found Ty Lee’s warm hand on her shoulder, and lifted her head to greet Ty Lee’s smiling face- one that morphed immediately into a look of concern as soon as Toph smiled weakly back. 

“You okay Toph?”

Toph nodded weakly. “Yeah. Still not used to riding boats.” 

Ty Lee smiled somberly, before she stepped forward and took baby Suyin into her arms. By her side was Mai, who stood with a small smile on her face, and two of their children. The twins ran over to Lin, laughing as Ae-Cha grabbed Lin’s hand and ran off towards the main building with her. Aito ran after them, his laugh heard trailing in the air. Ty Lee turned to stare at Yaling, finally noticing the earthbender, who stood somewhat awkwardly in front of the stairs.

“You must be Yaling.” Ty Lee mused, stepping forward to meet the earthbender. Yaling took the airbender’s appearance in- she had long, soft brown hair, tied up in a long braid that fell past her waist. Her eyes were a warm gray-brown color, and she bore the typical airbender arrow tattoos on her skin. She wore the typical outfit of an Airbending Master- a pair of long orange robes that fell past her wrists and down to her waist, flowing out to the side as they revealed the long yellow robes beneath. A pale yellow sash was tied around her waist, and a Master’s Necklace adorned her neck and collar. Ty Lee was all around a surprising figure to Yaling- an enchantingly beautiful and cheerful woman, with hints of age lining her face. Yaling swallowed and nodded. 

“I am. You are?”

“Ty Lee.” She replied warmly. “Airbending master and an old friend of Toph’s. This is my wife Mai.”

She gestured to the other woman standing nearby- a tall and nearly equally beautiful woman with pitch black hair and eyes a beautiful shade of gray. Long black robes adorned her body, tied at the waist with pale silver lining them. Beneath the black robes laid dark red ones, falling to just above her ankles and hugging her neck. Yaling found Mai’s piercing eyes on her, gazing over her entire being. Something simmered in the nonbender’s eyes, and Yaling quickly realized that the woman must have heard about her before. 

Still, a smile found its way onto Mai’s face as she extended a hand to Yaling. Yaling took it, shaking Mai’s hand. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Mai murmured, before turning to Toph. “The others are inside. Ty Lee insisted on coming out here to meet you. Was worried something had maybe happened.” 

Toph smiled weakly and nodded. “Well, thank you. Are they all in the main hall?”

Mai nodded. “Yes. They’ve been waiting for you so we can all have food.” 

Toph nodded and then turned to glance towards Yaling, who still stood right where she was. It was then that Toph noticed, with all Yaling’s bravado and confidence and toughness, that the earthbender was still just as human as anyone else, that she could still be nervous. Toph bit back a concerned smile and reached her hand out, beckoning Yaling forward. 

Yaling stared at her for a moment, before nodding and taking a step forward to meet Toph. The two earthbenders seemed to move in agreement, and they turned to begin towards the dining hall.

Each step thundered with the weight of what was to come, with what laid ahead. At once, all the thoughts came crashing down on both women- and while neither of them were necessarily afraid, they both walked tingling in anticipation for what was to come.

The years may have rolled back Yaling’s layers and changed her, but her youth still reflected on an aging face. Her eyes, as dull as they were, still glittered with the emotion they had those years ago; her hair, graying as it was, still laid the same shade, the same way as it had. Her face, her shoulders, her build, her walk- it was all the same, just with layers of age added on. There was no denying her identity, nothing to claim she was anyone but Yaling, the tough-as-rocks, hatred-fueled earthbender. As much as she had evolved, her past still hung heavy behind her.

And in Yaling’s mind, something else drifted along- the faces of Toph’s friends as they had been all those years ago, compared with the photographs she had seen littering Toph’s house. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki- they were all bound to be different from how they had been that fateful summer. Yaling knew how age had lined her face and knew the same would be reflected upon their own- and curiosity bubbled in her as she thought of that young, round face of the air nomad now being an aged, developed thing. It was one thing to see her own growth- it was an entirely new thing to see others. 

Still, her feet thrummed along the stone walkway with each step she took, cautious but confident as she lagged slightly behind the others. Ty Lee and Mai were already far ahead, Suyin still tucked tightly in Ty Lee’s arms. With the way Suyin sat quietly in Ty Lee’s arms, and the way the airbender held her, Yaling concluded two things- Ty Lee loved children, and Suyin loved her. Yaling supposed it was only expected that Suyin would have multiple adults around her, despite the absence of her father. With Toph Beifong, one of the saviors of the world, as her mother, there was no way the baby would ever grow up isolated or lonely. 

Something about that thought made Yaling perk up a bit. Even if she wouldn’t admit it, she’d grown attached to the bright-eyed infant. Enough to care about her wellbeing and worry about if she was doing well, at least. Yaling found herself watching the baby as the dining hall grew closer, enamored by the bright-eyed little girl as she fussed slightly, falling slowly into the arms of sleep. It distracted her enough that she reached the outside of the dining hall without even noticing it. When she did, her feet threatened to stop short before noticing all three women ahead of her were still walking, and she refused to lag behind awkwardly. 

Belly laughs and chuckles and chains of words streamed from the hall, voices mingled together to create a steady stream of jubilation and warmth. Ty Lee and Mai then disappeared into the hall, Suyin still in the younger woman’s arms, and Yaling paused to watch the entrance to the hall, hearing deep voices call out warmly at the two women’s entrance. 

It was then that Toph turned to her. Her cloudy, blind eyes stared at her with nothingness, looking towards her but not at her. Still, something shone in those sightless eyes, and Yaling straightened and lifted her head. It was now or never, she knew, and she nodded. 

Toph took that nod wordlessly and turned her head back, stepping forward into the entrance of the hall.

Immediately, Aang and Sokka’s voices filled both their ears, followed quickly by Katara’s, Suki’s and Zuko’s, all mingling together into one pleasant salad of voices. Then others rang out- younger ones, lighter ones, and Yaling immediately realized that children stood in the hall as well. 

“Toph! You’re finally here!” Sokka cried, standing to meet her with a hug. Toph smiled and melted into his arms without much protestation. She lifted her head to stare sightlessly into his face, before turning to the others. They all sat with smiles plastered on their faces, happy to see her standing there again. Even Mai, having just sat down, was smiling brightly. 

Still, Toph stood tall and turned her head towards the entrance of the hall, a smile still on her face. Sokka’s eyes followed her own, his face cocking slightly in a mix of confusion and curiosity. 

“I have someone with me.” Toph spoke, a smile curving her lips as she waved an arm towards where she knew Yaling stood. Yaling knew that this was her cue, that this was her time to step out and make herself known. So, with a steady inhale of breath, Yaling stepped forward and let herself be enveloped by the light of the hall. 

Instantly, Yaling’s eyes widened in her quest to take everything in- and take everything in, they did.

The first person she noticed was the man by Toph’s side- Sokka, her mind supplied helpfully, judging by the man’s dark skin, light eyes and blue outfit. He was older, taller- way fucking taller jeez- and filled out, with broad shoulders and bright, analytical eyes staring at her eagerly. His jaw was lined with thin hairs that came together in a goatee, one that Yaling couldn’t decide on if she thought it was nice or ugly. His face was lined with slightly more age than her own, but was surprisingly still just as bright as it had been as a teenager. His outfit was quite similar as well, but with a leather belt around his waist and more straps than Yaling had ever seen on one person. And, she noted surprisingly, a water tribe necklace adorned his neck- a beautiful thing, the water tribe symbol carved ever-so-delicately onto it. 

Her attention then turned to the table- and the first face she noticed was that of Aang. He definitely looked older, his face lined with the same amount of age as Toph’s. He had a beard lining his jaw, a neat little thing. His gray eyes were just as bright as ever, and his face still shone with youth beyond his years. He was evidently much, much taller than she had seen him last- even without standing up, he was the tallest at the entire table, his head coming above Zuko’s. A dark red-orange robe adorned his shoulder, atop orange robes and golden sleeves. He was also handsome, Yaling noted, even if she felt no twang of attraction at the sight of him.

Sitting next to him was a woman Yaling quickly noticed as Katara, by the way her long dark hair hung in the same way it had all those years ago. She actually still looked quite young despite the lines of age on her face, Her outfit was similar to the one she had worn as a teenager, with some differences- mainly, a leather belt around the waist. She was taller than she had been, but still looked short- she was likely no more than 5’6, if Yaling could guess correctly. 

And a little ways down from Katara was a woman Yaling quickly recognized as Suki- of course, she’d had a hard time forgetting the face that now stared back at her. Suki didn’t actually look much different than her teenage self- she had changed the least out of the group. She wore pale blue robes with red and gold accents, and her hair still fell in a bob, with some of it being pulled into a bun that was held by the Royal Fire Lady crown- one quite similar to the one that held Sokka’s wolf tail up, Yaling noticed. Her neck was adorned with a traditional water tribe necklace, one that had a symbol of a fan carved delicately into it. 

And right next to her sat a man Yaling hadn’t seen before- but judging by the scar enveloping half his face and the royal fire nation robes, Yaling quickly knew he was Fire Lord Zuko. Zuko stared at her with curiosity evident in his eye, and she stared right back at him. His long, dark brown hair was tied back into a bun, while the rest fell well past his shoulders. He was different than she had been expecting, and she pleasantly noticed that the years had been kind to him- despite being the eldest in the room, he looked the same age as Katara and Ty Lee. 

And it was then that Yaling noticed the many children in the room.

The first child she noticed was a boy- a boy with dark skin that was a few shades lighter than Katara and Sokka’s, but still dark enough to be noticeably water tribe. He had wild dark hair and bright gray eyes, and Yaling quickly realized he must be one of Aang and Katara’s children. 

Next to him sat a young girl, her skin about two shades darker than his. She had long dark hair that was clipped back in the front by two arrow clips, and despite looking to be around eleven years old, she had a smile that made her seem younger than that. 

And right next to the girl sat a young boy looking to be about seven years old. His skin was a shade or two darker than Aang’s, but still lighter than the older boy’s. He had bright gray eyes and sat adorned with yellow and orange robes, not a single speck of hair on his head. The three children must be Aang and Katara’s children, Yaling thought. 

Then there was Mai and Ty Lee’s twins- a boy and a girl, both with Ty Lee’s warm brown hair and bright brown-gray eyes, adorned in yellow and orange robes. Next to them sat an older girl with long, dark hair tied halfway up into a bun. She wore dark red, orange and black robes, similar to Mai but with a twinge of air nomad flair added on. The girl was smiling fondly at the twins, and Yaling noted that she was likely their sibling. 

And then there was another trio of children right next to Zuko, starting with a young girl who looked remarkably like Suki. In fact, the only difference between the two seemed to be the girl’s sharp golden eyes, ones that reflected the same spark and determination as Zuko’s. She was adorned in royal fire nation robes, but with a bit of earth kingdom (or Kyoshi island, really) flair- most notably, pale blue accents and a dark blue sash tied around her waist. 

And next to her sat two children equal in age, that Yaling quickly realized were twins. First was the boy, with dark hair a similar shade to Sokka’s, but with eyes a much darker shade of blue. Still, the boy looked extraordinarily like Sokka- the same hair style, the same jawline, all of it. He wore more traditionally water tribe robes, but with gold accents. His twin sat right next to him- she looked more like Suki, but still shared quite a bit with her father- most notably, his eyes. Her hair was about the length of Suki’s, tied partially back into a topknot. Her robes too were more traditionally water tribe, with some added fire nation accents.

The next thing Yaling noticed was that everyone was staring at her. Zuko, obviously, had no hint of recognition in his eye (having never met her) but instead stared at her with curiosity. The others stared at her with the same curiosity. Sokka was the first to fit the puzzle together.

“Toph… Is that Yaling?” He questioned, his voice low but still loud enough that the others could hear him. His posture had shifted slightly into a more defensive position, but Yaling stood still. 

“It is.” Toph replied nonchalantly. “I met her again a few weeks ago. She wasn’t in the best place so I offered her some help.” Even without her sight, Toph had immediately sensed the tension that swallowed the others as soon as the words left her mouth. Their memories had not betrayed them after all. “She’s different now. Helps out the gaggle of homeless people in the city, bender or non-bender.”

Sokka straightened and stared. Yaling had expected as much.

Yaling took a single, cautious step forward. “I know I wasn’t that great in the past. I apologize. I was young, impressionable, and my mom took advantage of that. I hope I can make it up to you.” 

They were all taken aback by that- Sokka and Suki especially. As they stared questioningly at her, Zuko tilted his head. “May I ask who you are?”

Yaling nodded. “My name’s Yaling. I met everyone years ago, a year or so after the war ended. My mom ran an anti-non benders group in the town we lived in, and I made some bad decisions.” Yaling turned to face some of the others again. “I’m hoping to make that up.” 

Zuko blinked at her. Toph knew those words had struck a chord with him- Zuko had been in a similar situation, after all. He silently turned to Suki and clasped her hand, wordlessly calming her down. Suki only turned and blinked at Yaling, but the tension left her.

“Well,” Spoke Aang suddenly as he stood, making his way towards the earthbender, “It’s been a long while.” 

Yaling was taken aback when Aang suddenly held out his hand to her. But maybe she should’ve expected this- the man had a reputation for forgiving just about anyone and everyone, after all. It was probably more than she deserved, but Yaling took his hand anyways. 

“It has.” 

Toph took the opportunity to go and sit down near her eldest daughter and Ty Lee. Once Aang had properly shaken Yaling’s hand and determined her to be genuine, he sat back down, followed by Sokka. Yaling blinked, but quickly realized her position and sat down near Toph. Several plates of food filled the table, Yaling quickly noticed- there were many plates of Earth Kingdom dishes, such as braised turtle-duck and noodle soup, along with a bowl or two of egg custard tart. There were some Water Tribe dishes- some sea prune stew and seaweed noodles, along with arctic hen. There were some Fire Nation dishes, such as komodo sausage, loco moco, dumplings and mochi. And of course, there were Air Nomad dishes, mainly steamed tofu, vegetable dumplings and fruit pie. It was a small but glorious little feast, and Yaling happily took a bowl of noodle soup and two dumplings and gathered it onto a plate. 

The conversations of the table continued quite happily, even with the small glances the others have her. Still, the air was comfortable and Yaling ate quietly, watching the situation in front of her. It was a pleasant thing, especially since she had never really had any friends in her life besides her younger sister, whom she hadn’t seen in years now. She munched on her dumplings and occasionally poked a finger at Suyin’s cheek, as the baby gurgled at her cheerfully. Eventually the conversation did turn to her, and Yaling straightened and patiently recounted her story- her time in jail, her sister’s move to Ba Sing Se, her mother’s death and even her time being homeless. She left out some parts, mainly between her and Toph, but told her story regardless. The others listened somberly to her story, but she shook her hand and waved the pity away. 

The conversation eventually changed from her and she listened eagerly. As she watched the others in their conversations, Yaling’s lips twitched in a ghost of a smile and she sighed silently. This was something she could get used to.


	11. Yours Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Yaling navigate their life together. A collection of some moments after the Gaang meetup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is!!! we have arrived at the final chapter!!! 
> 
> i wrote this chapter as a bunch of stories  
> of Toph and Yaling after the meetup of last chapter. i’ll probably write some lil oneshots of them after this, but enjoy this epilogue!! 
> 
> also, thank y’all so much for the support on this series- you know who you are. i hope you enjoy this epilogue as much as i’ve enjoyed writing this ^^

_I want to thank you  
for being the love  
I needed when I  
thought I didn’t  
need love.  
It changed me.  
It softened me.  
And even though I  
didn’t know it at   
the time, it saved me. _

~~~~~ 

It was the sound of a pigster crowing that woke Toph from her sleep that morning, and not the wail of her youngest Suyin like so many mornings prior. As Toph yawned and shifted slightly, she felt something against her. She lifted her head slightly and held a hand out, cautiously feeling for whatever was there- and then she felt soft skin and gentle fabric, and the familiar scent she’d come to enjoy enveloped her. It took her only a second to realize she was laying next to Yaling, and she stilled as she realized the earthbender had her arms wrapped around Toph, holding her close to her as if to protect her, to shield her from something- something she’d usually detest, but it actually gave her comfort in this situation. 

Toph blinked, the situation slightly confusing her, and then quickly remembered the prior night. The two women had sat down to have a nice rainy night in, drinking tea and making dumplings, egg custard tart and cakes as Lin and Suyin had gone to bed early. The two women had talked and laughed until way past midnight, entertaining each other with stories and tall tales and even the occasional joke. Finally, as tiredness had enveloped them both, they had made their way to Toph’s room and fallen clumsily into the bed. In the end, the two women had fallen asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. It had quite possibly been the nicest night Toph had had in awhile, if not years. 

And now here she laid, her hand resting gently on Yaling’s collar as she watched her chest slowly rise and fall. She was still asleep, and Toph was content to lay there and listen to Yaling’s soft breaths. It was a cacophony of senses to behold, even if sight wasn’t one of them. Touch had become Toph’s safe spot, even if she hated to admit it- getting to touch someone like this, to be held in such a gentle embrace, it was something so euphoric she still wasn’t even sure it was real. 

She laid completely still for a few moments, listening to the sound of Yaling breathing. As the sound lulled her, she closed her eyes again and inhaled, reflecting briefly on all that had happened. 

Nearly 6 whole months had passed since that fateful day in the street, when Yaling and Toph had seen each other again for the first time in years. 4 months had passed since their confessions and conversation- and 3 and a half months since they had started dating.

It hadn’t taken too long after the Gaang gathering that Yaling had confronted Toph. The meeting had changed her perspective, and she had taken a few days to think. Finally, an entire ten days after the gathering, Yaling had finally pulled Toph aside one night. The two had talked, talked for so much longer than they ever had before. From the day they met to the day they kissed, of all the feelings they’d had and embraced. And with a single chaste but caring kiss, everything was sealed. In the end, they went to sleep that night as girlfriends. 

They had started off admittedly slow- but what else were they to do in what was the first official relationship for both of them? The first few days had been a very ecstatic but awkward dance around each other, with lots of small talk and evenings of cooking while Yaling stared at Toph. 

Their perceptions of each other were drastically, but unsurprisingly different. It was something Toph had come to terms with years and years ago, that she viewed the world and other people differently than anyone else. She viewed people through their movements, their scents, their voice and laughter and sounds. Yaling was the most amazing combination of everything Toph adored- that light, fresh dirt scent, that tough, hardened personality, that surprisingly hearty laugh. Yaling was simply beautiful, by unorthodox standards (though Toph was sure, even though she couldn’t see, that Yaling was enchanting even by physical appearance standards). 

And to Yaling, Toph was a heady mixture of everything she’d ever wanted. And Toph was enchantingly beautiful- silky hair darker than the night sky, striking silvery-green eyes, a jawline so sharp Yaling was sure it could cut metal. She was tough, headstrong and stubborn, with a personality blunt enough to match and even challenge her own- something she genuinely appreciated, as she didn’t want to ever have someone who simply bowed down to her, nor someone weak who never stood up for anything. And despite her tough-as-rocks exterior, Toph was someone who cared, someone who did what was right regardless of the cost. She was everything Yaling had ever dreamed of. 

Their relationship had started picking up day by day, from long conversations and staring to occasional hand holding and pecks on the cheek, to kisses and evenings spent laying on the couch and telling stories. The fact of them already living together removed that potential hurdle, allowing them to focus on the other hurdles they needed to cross- mainly, telling the others of their relationship.

Ty Lee had come to visit just two weeks after they had began dating, and figured things out for herself. Though, she did promise to not tell the others, insisting that right was for Toph and Yaling only. 

Both of them were wary of telling the others though- Toph figured it was likely because this was the first official relationship for both of them, and they both wanted to just have it secret and have the others all to themself for a little while. The next group together had occurred a month and a half after they began dating, but Yaling, who had actually gotten a job by then, had stayed back and Toph had gone on her own. 

Yaling had gotten a job nearby, a pretty simple but fun job at a bakery. It was probably an odd work environment for her, but she didn’t mind it much. It was a warm and pleasant job, one she was immensely grateful to have even gotten in the first place due to her prison record. She spent the days there kneading dough, caring to the cash register and soaking in the enchanting scents of warm dough, spices and sweets cooking. Some days she even brought home different tarts, puffs and cookies that she’d either baked or gotten from a coworker. 

Still, their relationship had escalated at a normal pace. Despite living together, the two women had kept their boundaries from before the relationship. Toph still slept alone in her bedroom on the first floor, while Yaling slept alone in her bedroom on the second floor. As such, this had been the first night they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. 

Toph continued to lay there in silence, listening to the sound of Yaling breathing as her chest rose and fall. Toph had nearly fallen asleep again when she felt Yaling’s heart rise, indicating the woman had finally waken. Yaling shifted slightly in her early morning daze, before taking in the woman in her arms. Yaling had also stilled, as Toph batted her eyes and smiled gently. 

“Good morning.” 

Yaling blinked, and after a second her face softened, her lips curving into a gentle smile. She shifted, pulling Toph closer to her until Toph’s face was nearly pressed into the crook of her neck. Toph breathed in slightly and closed her eyes, resting her head there peacefully. 

The two women laid there for a good half hour, with Yaling pressing the occasional soft kiss to Toph’s forehead or arms. Toph stirred slightly with each kiss, but she never moved until she heard the distinct sounds of her youngest daughter waking up, and then the sharp sounds of Suyin crying. 

The two women both got up rather quickly, with Toph making her way across the room to Suyin’s crib. She picked her daughter up and pressed her close to her chest, rocking her gently as Yaling stood a mere foot away, watching. Suyin was especially grumpy this morning, and even as her wails grew softer in volume, she continued to fuss. 

A month had passed since Suyin’s first birthday by then, making her 13 months old. Her birthday was a small but joyous celebration, with Yaling and the entire Gaang showing up. Still, the two women had kept their relationship a secret, opting to not answer any questions made. The others had taken the hint pretty quickly and left the topic alone, despite any curiosities any of them may have had. The baby had been showered with gifts of all kinds, from typical earth kingdom gifts to small, specially crafted  
water tribe and fire nation trinkets, and had even been given a specially crafted air nomad toy, made by Aang himself. Aang’s gift had surprisingly been Suyin’s favorite- it was a small wooden sky bison, painted and shined and carved by hand. Aang had insisted on giving each of the Gaang children hand carved air nomad toys- it was another way he kept his culture alive, and all the others happily embraced it. 

Yaling had also baked some goods for the celebration- mainly, tarts and puffs of alternating flavors. It had been a happy day, and the two women had ended it by alternating who held Suyin as they told stories. 

It took about ten minutes to finally get Suyin to quiet down. Toph held the baby in her arms, softly cooing to her until her crying had completely ceased, before shifting her posture and turning to walk out of the room. Yaling followed close behind, walking with Toph to the kitchen. Once they reached it, Toph turned and faced Yaling, who quickly opened her arms. Toph leaned forward and Yaling took the quiet Suyin into her arms, shifting her posture before she sat down at the table. Toph then turned to finally start preparing breakfast. 

Lin walked into the room a mere minute after they had, and she sat down next to Yaling. She watched Yaling and her sister Suyin, occasionally putting out a finger to wave in Suyin’s face. Ultimately though, Lin found herself toying with a pebble as she watched the food cooking and waited. 

Yaling, meanwhile, began to do what she could to entertain Suyin. At one point, Yaling held Suyin into the air and stuck her tongue at her, smiling widely. Suyin giggled happily and, without any warning, let out a clear “Mama!”

The words struck both Toph and Yaling like a drum. Yaling paused, lowering the baby to eye level. Suyin stared at her intently, before lifting her arms out and letting out another “Mama!”

Every emotion Yaling could name overwhelmed her at once, and it took everything in her to not burst out bawling. Suyin had, at last, let out her first proper word, and she sat smiling in Yaling’s arms. Yaling pressed the baby to her chest, holding back tears as her body trembled in sheer joy. 

The pot of food on the stove was quickly abandoned, and Toph made her way over, taking Yaling by her arm and pulling her close. Toph pressed her hand to Suyin’s cheek, feeling the warmth of her baby’s face. 

“That’s right, Su.” Toph spoke gently without a moment’s thought, her lips curving into a radiant but soft smile. Toph briefly pressed her forehead against her daughter’s, before pulling back and leaning into Yaling’s shoulder. Toph stared in the direction of her daughter’s face, warmth emanating from her radiantly as she held both Yaling and Suyin close. “That’s mama.”

Those two simple words shattered any and all remaining walls in the older woman. All at once, Yaling sobbed, pressing Suyin closer to her before taking Toph’s lips in a warm and loving kiss. Toph instantly leaned into it, wrapping both arms around Yaling as they stood there. Eventually they broke apart, and Toph continued to hold Yaling as silent sobs wracked her body and every emotion she’d ever hid spilled out of her. 

~~~~~

The weeks passed quicker than Toph or Yaling had expected. They woke up to their two month anniversary, then their fourth, then their sixth, then their 8th, then their tenth. It seemed as though they’d simply blink and another week would be gone.

By now, the two women were falling asleep in the same bed more days than not. They’d fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, and wake up to either peaceful silence or the sound of Suyin’s cries. 

With each week that their relationship progressed, Suyin grew more and more. She had taken her first unassisted steps shortly after her first word- to pure joy and tears from both Toph and Yaling. She was 2 and a half feet tall now, nearly reaching up to the tip of Toph’s waist. She was walking more now, and spent a lot of time with Yaling, who had grown especially attached to the toddler. Suyin’s cry of “Mama!” directed at Yaling had definitely shifted the atmosphere in the household. It almost placed a pressure on Toph and Yaling to stay together so her daughters would always have Yaling as a parent- but that pressure didn’t bother them as much as they thought it would. While both women were still unsure of how long they’d be together, they took each day with the idea that their time together wouldn’t ever end. 

When Toph and Yaling woke up one morning, they quickly realized it was Lin’s 8th birthday. 

The two women had, oddly enough, began dating a mere week after Lin’s 7th birthday. With Lin’s birthday came the realization that their one year anniversary was soon- a feat both of them were avidly looking forward to. 

Toph took to tending to Suyin that morning, who was now sleeping in the same room as Lin. Toph had slowly begun switching her youngest daughter from a crib in her room to a crib in her sister’s room a few weeks after Suyin turned a year old. Eventually, the switch was finalized, and the two sisters shared a room together. 

Lin eventually stirred awake, later than she typically woke up. She blinked and stared at the ceiling for a moment, before rubbing her eyes and sitting up. 

“Good morning birthday girl.” Toph spoke as soon as her eldest arose, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Lin’s head. Lin blinked and leaned in, before her arms reached out and tugged on the fabric along her mother’s arms. 

Toph smiled and sat on her daughter’s bed, quickly handing Suyin to Yaling before pulling Lin into a hug. As the hug ended, Toph gently trailed her daughter’s face with her fingers. 

“Thank you mama.” Lin replied, her eyes twinkling as a wide smile graced her face. She turned to Yaling and hopped off her bed, walking forward with her arms out. Yaling smiled and kneeled down, using her free arm to wrap around Lin as she used her other to clasp Suyin to her chest. Toph stepped off the bed as well, kneeling down and enveloping her girlfriend and daughters into a hug.

They sat there for a few moments before Toph stood and took Suyin into her arms. Yaling used her free hands to take Lin’s hand, and she then picked the girl up and rested her on her hip. Lin was a big child for her age, giving Yaling a struggle to hold her, but Yaling still did so without complaint. She carried the young girl into the main room and placed her on the couch, before handing her a small, smoothed rock. 

As Toph began to cook away, Yaling gathered Suyin and began to watch Lin bend away at the rock. Yaling murmured praise at the young girl as she proceeded to bend it into several different shapes, pleased with how Lin seemed to surpass most benders her age in skill. Then again, with the extraordinarily powerful Toph Beifong as her mother, Yaling wasn’t the least bit surprised. 

Breakfast that morning was a wondrous feat- a wide array of dumplings, tarts and noodles, along with Lin’s favorite meal of crab puffs. Lin ate it all down, savoring every bite with hums of contentedness as Toph smiled. Yaling took to feeding Suyin bites of dumpling, grinning at how well the toddler ate. 

The family was due to the Air Temple Island Hall that afternoon to celebrate Lin’s birthday. It was a special occasion today, which meant it was appropriate to wear a formal outfit. She had made sure to order a good formal outfit for Yaling, which she handed to her girlfriend as time drew closer.

Yaling stared in awe at herself in the mirror. The first article of clothing she noticed was the long robe adorning her, which fell nearly to her ankles. It was a rich dark green, lined with the most delicate gold trim. It was sleeveless, and fell over more robes. Below the initial robe she wore a short dress, tied in the waist by a dark green robe. Below that robe-dress was yet another one, one that shrouded her feet. Sleeves fell to her wrist, a vibrant green lined with gold and olive trim. Her hair, which fell to just below the top of her breast, was tied back into a low ponytail, much smaller than the one of her childhood. Still, as she stood there, 41 years of age, she saw a glimmer of the young girl she used to be. She stood tall, bit her lip, and walked out into the main room.

Toph was also out there, standing in a long adornment of dark green and delicate yellow robes, tied in the waist by a golden sash. It fell to her feet, was lined with delicate gold trim and accented her features beautifully. Yaling had to stop herself from running forward and drowning Toph in kisses.

She then noticed Lin and Suyin, both of whom were adorned in similarly beautiful robes in shades of green and gold. Lin’s was especially beautiful, accented by a lovely golden sash, yellow shoes and a delicate hair piece that tied her hair up into a bun. It was in that moment that she bore a striking resemblance to her mother, and Yaling smiled at the realization that Lin had inherited almost everything from her mother. 

Toph took the moment to walk towards Yaling and press a chaste kiss to her cheek. After she did so, she leaned down and pulled a waiting Suyin into her arms. As she stood up, she turned to Yaling with a simple, “You ready?” 

Yaling turned to her. “To potentially come out to everyone? As ready as I’ll ever be.” She ended it with a smile. 

The two had officially decided that Lin’s birthday was as good a day as ever to finally announce their relationship. After all, they had been dating almost an entire year now, and knew that the others would have to know about them. With as much courage as they could muster, the two women walked out of the apartment holding hands, and their hands remained intertwined all the way to and onto the boat.

The boat ride was just as rough as Toph had expected, but it helped that Yaling was right next to her, pressing gentle kisses into her arm and forehead to keep her calm. Toph sighed and melted into Yaling, clasping her arms around her youngest daughter as she closed her eyes and let herself forget everything else in that moment. Yaling wrapped one arm around Toph to steady her, and used the other to rub circles along the soft flesh of Toph’s arms, occasionally lifting them up to press kisses along the skin there. Lin sat right next to her, playing with the rock she had brought along. She was planning to show off her bending abilities to everyone, and Yaling had to stop herself from bursting with pride.

The water was calm that day, something Toph couldn’t be more grateful for. Suyin sat quietly in her arms, occasionally tugging at Toph’s robes as she held her close. Overall, the boat ride was better than any other one Toph had ever embarked on. 

The boat ride was thankfully short, and Toph was on solid ground quicker than she knew. This time, the others were all outside waiting for her with smiles on their faces. A few of them stared as the two women approached with intertwined hands, pausing as Toph and Yaling stopped in front of them.

Nevertheless, they were all greeted (Lin especially) with cheers and coos. The group walked to the hall, and they all sat down in front of an array of food and wrapped presents. It was an entire feast, the two women noticed. There were many bowls of noodles, rice, soups and tarts- most noticeably egg custard tart, ramen, noodle soup, seaweed noodles, five flavor soup, and sea soup. There were also sweets and dishes from each of the nations- Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee had brought roast duck, hot cakes and tart pie, Katara and Sokka had brought steamed dumplings and vegetable broth and Aang had brought steamed tofu, sweet buns and fruit pie. Suki had brought sushi, dumplings and seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi. As for Toph and Yaling, they had both brought dishes- Toph had brought braised turtle duck and crab puffs, while Yaling had brought some cakes, fried dough and cookies she had baked. 

As they all sat down, a large bowl of longevity noodles was placed in front of Lin, along with some dumplings and a small fruit cake Aang had baked. They began a small chant of happy birthday, which ended with Lin taking a long, careful slurp of her noodles and a large bite out of a dumpling. As soon as she took the slurp of her noodles, the others began to eat as well. 

However, both Toph and Yaling quickly sensed the questions bubbling in the minds of everyone present. As the food began to dwindle and diminish, Yaling took the opportunity to do as she and Toph had discussed. 

“Toph and I actually have an announcement,” She spoke suddenly, earning the interest of everyone in the room. She cocked her head and turned to look at Toph, who took the cue and nodded.

The others noticed the nod and turned to stare at Toph questioningly, and she lifted her head. “Yaling and I are dating. Have been for a while now.” She cocked her head and took Yaling’s hand into her own. “Figured it was about time to say it.”

The room immediately proceeded to explode into a frenzy of congratulations and questions, to which Toph and Yaling both grinned. The others were all quite shocked by the revelation, but they were all quite cheerful and accepting of the news. The birthday celebration went off without a hitch after that, with Lin opening each of her presents carefully and joyfully. After all the food was gone and presents were collected, the children took to running off and exploring the island while the adults stayed back and talked. It was then that Toph and Yaling told some of their story, and while curious, the others were open and cheerful. 

The gathering eventually ended when the sun began to fall, and everyone took off on their own way. As Yaling, Toph, Lin and Suyin boarded the boat back to Republic City, the two women sat with happy hearts and small smiles on their faces. 

~~~~~

Toph gently stirred out of her sleep one morning to the sensation of fingers carding through her hair and the soft sound of Yaling breathing. She drifted in and out of consciousness for a few moments, Yaling’s breathing softly lulling her to sleep before she’d wake again from the sensation. It was a calming cycle that had to have continued for nearly twenty minutes before Toph was finally driven from a half-asleep state to fully awake. 

Still, she kept her eyes closed, not feeling the need to open them as a warning of her being awake. Rather, she hummed and leaned into Yaling, silently relishing in how warm the embrace was. She felt Yaling shift slightly in surprise, before tightening her arm around Toph and smiling gently. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Yaling murmured, pressing the slightest chaste kiss to Toph’s forehead. “Sleep well?”

“Mm.” Toph replied simply, still too tired to properly form words. Yaling let out a small, sleepy chuckle and shifted so Toph’s head fell onto her collar and breast. 

“I know the feeling. Just keep resting.” 

Too tired to even disagree, Toph was content to lay there for a while, her head laying against Yaling’s collar, as Yaling continued to run fingers through Toph’s hair. Toph leaned her head back against the feeling, smiling warmly as Yaling was content enough to continue petting her. 

“Mm. What day is it?” Toph eventually wondered aloud, letting her eyes flutter open as Yaling continued running her fingers through her hair.

Yaling gave a smile. “You mean, you don’t remember?”

Toph blinked, confused. 

Yaling gave a small chuckle at that. “It’s our one year anniversary.” Yaling thought for a moment. “And it’s also Saturday, so no work today if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Toph pulled away slightly in wonder. “It’s been one year already?” 

“Mhm.”

“Huh.” Toph pursed her lips, before drawing them in a line and shifting slightly. “It feels like it’s been longer than that.” 

“Doesn’t it?” Yaling moved her hand to cup Toph’s cheek, before pulling her into a warm kiss. It was sweet, sweeter than what Toph would’ve expected- but she was finding that as their relationship progressed, both she and Yaling were becoming much sweeter and affectionate than either had expected. As she pulled away, she planted a kiss to Toph’s forehead and shifted slightly. “I was hoping we could do something today. Not a boat ride, since I know how much you hate boats. Maybe going to the park, or just exploring the city.”

Toph hummed and closed her eyes again, leaning back into the warmth of Yaling’s embrace. After a few moments, she considered Yaling’s words. “I wouldn’t mind exploring the city with you. But there’s the matter of the girls.” 

Yaling pondered for a moment. “We could drop them off at your friends? Or take them with us.” 

Toph thought for a few moments. “Ty Lee does owe me one. I can go to her and ask.”

“Alright, it’s a deal. But let’s not get up just yet.” Yaling wrapped her arms around Toph and pulled her in closer. “I’m still tired.”

“Alright.”

And so they both laid there for a while longer, basking in the warmth of their embrace as the sunlight slowly flooded in through the windows.

Of course, the day called to them, and they were eventually forced to get out of bed and ready for the day. Both girls were already awake, with Lin watching after and entertaining young Suyin. Toph plucked Suyin from her crib and dressed her, before preparing breakfast for the morning. 

Breakfast was simple that morning- a few dumplings and some soup. Toph readied both the girls before she and Yaling took off with them towards Mai and Ty Lee’s city apartment. Ty Lee was thankfully quite happy to watch over the girls, stating that the twins adored having Lin around to play with, and that she herself enjoyed caring for Suyin, as it reminded her of when her own children were just babies.

And as the door behind them closed and the two women stepped out onto the street, Yaling turned to Toph. “So, where do you wanna go?” 

Toph hummed for a moment as she stared blankly forwards. “I know a spot.”

And with that they were off, Toph taking strides as Yaling followed her with ease. As they apparently neared their destination, Toph turned and had Yaling clamp her hands over her eyes. Yaling was then led through a walkway by Toph into a warm room. 

And then her hands lowered, and she stood in awe. The room she stood in was home to the most enchantingly beautiful garden she’d ever seen. Forests of green leaves and bushes lined the walls as intricate and beautiful flowers lined the vines. There was a fountain in the middle, a fountain so delicately carved of stone that Yaling was sure only the highest level earthbender could do such a thing. Towards the other side of the room, however, laid some benches and a small restaurant, exposed in the garden. Small rays of sun filtered through tiny holes in the foliage, giving the room a slight green tint. It was, to put it simply, one of the most beautiful places Yaling had ever seen.

“I happen to know the owner here,” Toph began, running her hand along a bush, “I helped him make the fountain, and he’s allowed me special treatment since. Though I don’t come here often, as you can imagine, it’s one of the nicer places I know.”

Yaling nodded, slack-jawed. “Obviously. It’s so… beautiful. Why haven’t I heard of it yet?”

Toph just shrugged. “It’s a smaller little area, not to mention its in a slightly more isolated part of the city. Not many people know it’s here.” With that, she led Yaling over to a table before ordering them some food. 

They ate together in pleasant company, with Toph regaling Yaling with the story of the garden cafe and how she’d helped with its creation. How the owner, a kindly man named Heri, had thus given her benefits and deals whenever she came there. Sure enough, Heri came out to happily greet Toph. He was indeed a kindly looking man, with dark hair and honey-brown eyes that held a certain warmth to them. The two women had eventually left with deserts in their arms. 

The two of them took the opportunity to explore the city a bit that day, from Heri’s garden cafe to sweets shops and even small theaters.

By the time the sky was painted with oranges and pinks and purples, both Toph and Yaling were thoroughly tired. The two stopped by Mai and Ty Lee’s city apartment (a place they had bought and lived in whenever they came to Republic City) to pick up the girls, and then finally headed home.

Once getting home, Toph yawned loudly and rubbed at tired eyes. As she did so, Yaling glanced at her.

“Ready to head to bed there, darling?” Yaling teased as Toph picked Suyin up. 

Toph just smiled at her as Suyin fiddled aimlessly with her shirt. “Well, I’m gonna put this little one to bed. I’ll be in bed before you know it.” And then she turned towards the kid’s room, disappearing into the room.

It was then that Yaling felt a tap on her back. When she turned around she saw Lin, curiosity shining bright in her large eyes.

“Oh hey sweetheart! You okay?”

Lin stared at her for a moment. “Are you ever gonna marry my mom?”

Yaling held back a choke and clapped her hand over her mouth. She should’ve known the question was coming- it had been well over a year since she’d moved in and was now the one year anniversary of her and Toph dating. Lin had grown up with only her mother, and Yaling had suddenly come in and became a new parental figure. The question, as premature and out of nowhere as it seemed, was a long time coming.

And Yaling paused to consider her answer for a moment. 

“In the future, yes,” Yaling started, kneeling slightly to be eye level with Lin, “but not right now. Your mama and I are just dating.”

Lin paused. “You’ll get married though, right? Like auntie Mai and Ty Lee?”

Yaling’s lips unintentionally curved into a gentle smile. “That’s the plan, sweetheart.”

And as Yaling laid in bed that night, watching Toph sleep peacefully next to her, she brought a kiss to Toph’s forehead. That was indeed the plan.

**Author's Note:**

> saudade- noun, meaning "a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or that has been loved and then lost; 'the love that remains'"


End file.
